Persona: SH
by Hidden Scorpius XI
Summary: Strange and violent incidents have been tormenting the citizens of Vale. Ruby Rose, a transfer student from Patch, finds herself involved in a bigger mistery. In the coming year, she and her friends will discover the secrets behind these deaths as they they learn more about the Power of Persona. Now, sit back and enjoy the story of Persona: SH ("Persona-verse" version of Remnant).
1. Tu, 4-4

**Tu, 4/4**

 **Tuesday, April 4th/ ?.**

"Good evening" Said a melodious voice.

I open my eyes to find myself inside a train cart, covered completely in blue velvet. The only seats are the one I'm sitting on and the one across from me, where a portly man with a black suit, bulged eyes and a long nose was sitting; there is a table in between the two of us. Standing next to the strange looking man is another man that looked young but older at the same time; he was tall, fairly built and looked quite normal when compared to the older man, save for his messy, semi-long silver hair, pale skin and yellow eyes. He was wearing a deep blue conductor uniform with golden buttons, and a matching hat covering the top of his head. Out through the windows, I can see a pair of lights at each side of the car approaching from the far end that quickly shoot past the car's length and to my back, before another pair approached in the same fashion.

"What…?" I begin to ask.

"My apologies, it seems I've forgotten my manners." Said the long-nosed man with a melodious and girthy voice, although his mouth barely seemed to move from his wide smile. "Welcome, to the Velvet Room. This is a place that exists between the Real World and the Sleeping World, between Mind and Matter.

"Don't be alarmed, you run no danger while in this place. You are merely fast asleep in the real world, so there is no need to worry. The purpose of this room, is to bring assistance to our guest.

"Before we begin, however, I would like you to sign this contract." The old man made a gesture to the younger man, who then handed me a board-clip with a single piece of paper. On it, there's only one sentence, one that makes me even more confused:

 _I chooseth this Fate on my own free will:_

"It simply states that you will take full responsibility on the consequences from your actions. Nothing too taxing, I hope." The long nosed man said, though his demeanor didn't suggest seriousness on this matter. I didn't really understand what was going on, but I figured that if it is all a dream, there is no harm done by signing.

 _Ruby Rose._

I handed the contract to the conductor, who then retreats to one side of the cart to file it on a fancy looking, wooden cabinet. Huh, it isn't blue.

"My my, manners seem to be eluding me today," The round man spoke again at the same time the tall boy returned to his side, "I haven't introduced myself yet." He let out a chuckle before continuing.

"My name is Igor, I am delighted to to make your acquaintance." Igor then motioned to the other man. "This young man right here is Victor; he's my assistant."

Victor spoke for the first time during that moment. His voice was stoic, but gentle. "I am Victor. I am glad to be of assistance."

Igor laughed once again and motioned to the table, where he made appear a deck of cards. "Now that we are done with introductions, let me ask: Do you believe in fortune telling?" Before I could answer, the cards spreaded over the table on their own. "Please, pick a card."

I still don't understand what's going on, but I repeat to myself that it's just a dream. But the whole situation is just so bizarre that I begin to question myself. These people don't seem to have hidden intentions, so I don't really have any reason to mistrust them, yet. I reach out and pick one card: It shows the image of a man holding a stick that is walking towards a cliff while a dog bites at his ankles; it was labeled only by a number: "0". The card floats away from my hand and into Igor's.

"Hmm, very interesting… This card is the **Fool Arcana**. It represents the beginning of a journey, and the possibilities it might hold in the future." Igor chuckles again as he looks at me with his bloodshot eyes. "This cards represents you well, I believe. Very interesting indeed.

"It seems that in the coming year, in wherever your destination might be, you'll find yourself in quite a journey, filled with infinite possibilities! I'm excited to see where your adventure may lead.

"For now, it is time for you to return to the real world. You'll return here again after this new journey begins. With that said, farewell." Said Igor with a wave from his hand.

"Until we meet again." Says Victor.

 **Tuesday, April 4th/ Afternoon.**

I open my eyes to see the dashboard of the van I fell asleep a few hours ago. I clearly remember how I got in back in Patch: I waited until my father arrived to the house and he helped me getting my luggage in there. After we hit the road, we spoke a little before I started to feel sleepy. I gather myself and pop off the hood of my red hoodie.

"Hey. Did you sleep well?"

I turned to look at father, driving the van while he gave me a sympathetic smile through sleepy eyes too. His name is Taiyang Xiao Long. I know he's my dad, but I really haven't seen him that often. He and mom got divorced when I was little, so I really haven't got to know him as most girls my age know their father. It doesn't bother me, mind you, but I'd have prefered to really meet him because any other reason… than this one.

"Yeah." I say to him.

"Good." He says gently. He makes a turn to the left and we enter a nice neighborhood, with many small and medium-sized houses on each side of the street. "We are getting closer now. Welcome to Vale. And..." He announces as he takes another turn and pulls back in front of one of the lots. "Welcome to our home."

I look at the house settled on the lot. It was a two story building, painted all white in the front, with a blue roof top and a matching porch. the front yard had a nice little garden, and though the grass needed some mowing, it looked really pretty. Dad pulled the van in front of the garage on the left side of the house and killed the engine. I get off from the car to take a better look at it. Back in Patch, Mom and I lived in a fairly decent condo, with one living room, a kitchen room, bedroom and bathroom. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was a home; so looking at this house, the prospect of living there was just…

"Wow."

Have I mentioned how eloquent I am?

"You are liking it, huh?" Says dad from behind the van, unloading some of my luggage out of the truck. "That's good. Here, help me with some of this."

"Oh, right!" I quickly go to the where he has dropped some of my baggage and start carrying them toward the entrance along with him. Once inside, I almost drop everything I was holding. The inside of the house was amazing: the walls were painted in hues of cream and light-green, the floor of the first room was carpeted in a lush, brown carpet, and beyond that I could see an open door that lead to a room with black and white checkered floor. The first room connected to the living room, which had a two-seater sofa, a pair of couches, a coffee table and a flat-screen across from the couches. So far, this new house is exceeding my expectations.

"We're home!" Dad shouts to the ceiling.

"Coming!" Came a voice from upstairs. Soon, I see another girl two years older than I coming down the stairs: she was wearing workout shorts and an orange t-shirt that was slightly loose for her. She has a long, golden hair that looks like it's set on fire, and lavender eyes. She turned towards us and smiled warmly. "Welcome back, Dad! Oh, you must be Ruby." She walked towards me and extended a hand, which I accepted. "I'm Yang. I'm your… half-sister. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Likewise." I say as retrieve my bags from the floor. Yang takes the bags Dad is carrying and we both make our way upstairs while he plops on one of the couches. Soon, I can hear him snoring, something that makes me giggle a little.

"Your room is just across from mine. It used to be a mess, since we had a lot of crap stored there, but I'm sure you'll love it now." Yang says as we walk down the hallway. She turns to the last door on the left and opens it. To say that the room was okay was a big understatement; though a little empty save for a bed, a wooden desk and a wardrobe, the small room had a light red carpet covering the floor, and the walls were covered in reddish-white wallpaper. The bed had a brand new mattress, pink covers and a bunch of puffy white pillows. This was more than what I could ask right now. "Sooooooo? What do you think?"

"Yang, this is… I really love it," I say to her as I leave my bags over the bed and remove my red hoodie, "but~"

"It's the wallpaper, isn't it?" Yang interjects with a deflated tone. "I told pops that it was too much pink. We can change it tomorrow if you~"

"No no no! The color is fine, really!" I interrupt her back. "It's just… I appreciate what you guys are doing, but…" I sigh. "You guys don't need to pamper me this much."

"Ruby…"

"Hey, it's okay. I am not dying or anything, I just lost my mom." I wince a little, not because the memory is still painful, which it is, but because of how Yang reacted. I admit, being this casual about this situation was really odd. I decide to explain myself better. "I did my crying, and now there's only one thing I can do: get better. Thanks for everything so far, but please, don't over-do it."

Yang remains staring at me for five seconds, before smiling knowingly and nodding. "Well, can't argue with that. But if you need anything…"

"I will ask. Deal?" I offer a hand to her…

But she gives me a hug a hug instead. "Promise."

I return the hug kindly, which is easier said than done, since I'm pretty sure I'm being constricted. "Uncle, uncle!" She lets me go and we both share a laugh before chatting a little. After a while, Yang stands up to head for the kitchen, tonight we're having omelettes. I offer help with cutting some veggies, and we both get busy with the cooking.

I have to admit it, I'm enjoying my new home.

 **Tuesday, April 4th/ Evening.**

Dad woke up with the smell of the food, only a while before we sat at the table and had our dinner. The omelettes turned out great, the crunchiness of the celery in contrast with the fluffiness of the omelette was a nice touch. We talked about my room over dinner and Yang helped me explain Dad what I told her up there. That turned out better than expected.

"So Ruby, you start classes tomorrow, right?" Yang asks.

"Yeah, I'm a little nervous though."

"Don't worry, that's just normal. We can make the trip together, the Junior High is just in the way to my School."

"Actually," Gosh, this is gonna suck. I knew it was coming, but it will suck, "I'm on the first year class on the Montgomery Omen High School."

Yang chokes on her food before downing a glass of water. "No way! Aren't you too young to be in high school?"

Dad clears his throat and explains to Yang. "Well, your sister had the highest academic index of her previous group, and has a higher performance level than other kids her age. Not to mention the IQ tests. So, the school system saw fit that she was moved to first year."

"Dad, thank you, but really, it's not a big deal."

"'Not a big deal'?" Yang says. "That's awesome! My baby sister is a genius!" She exclaims with the biggest smile I've ever seen. "Man, you'll be pretty popular over there."

I groan in discomfort.

"And who knows? There are plenty of guys at MOS, there sure is one who digs smart chicks."

At that, Dad started choking on his food, before downing his glass empty. I'm a little mad at Yang too, but we both laugh at father's reaction.

After cleaning up and watching TV a little, I say my goodnights head back to my room to get things ready for tomorrow. I unpack my school bag, get my books and pen-pouch in there and set it besides the door. I hang the school uniform and my hoodie on the wardrobe and change to my pijamas. Before getting on the bed though, I unpack another item and set it besides an alarm clock on the bedside table: it is a black framed picture of me when I was five and my Mom. I smiled fondly at the picture before laying down on the bed. I reach out to the portrait and poke my Mom's nose before turning off the light. "Goodnight mommy."

Tomorrow, I start my first day of school.

* * *

A/N: Here's the first chapter. I hope people can enjoy reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it. There's still a lot more to come, so be patient. Thanks for reading

I originally wanted to have some hyperlinks to soundtracks on YouTube, but isn't very fond of that, so I dropped that altogether. And there might be a few missing words, so if you catch any, please don't hesitate to PM it to me and I'll fix it immediately.

ALSO! This story might look like a crossover to you, but it is not actually. Other than Igor and Personas, nothing else from the main games is crossing-over to this story. If anything, I'm gonna coin the term "Persona-verse", for any fics that take the concept of the games and uses it with another source material. We're good? We're good.

Now, without further ado, please enjoy the story.


	2. We, 4-5

**We, 4/5**

 **Wednesday, April 5th/ Early Morning.**

I woke up slowly from my sleep to the sound of birds chirping loudly outside my window, not really wanting to remove my head from the pillow. As I looked over to the alarm clock I saw the time and remembered that I didn't set the alarm last night and quickly got up and grabbed my stuff to get cleaned before heading out for school. I wanted to at least have enough time to avoid rushing my breakfast.

After waiting for Yang to leave the bathroom, I take a quick shower and get back to my room afterwards. I put on the school uniform, before grabbing my hoodie and setting it over the school shirt instead of the mahogany jacket it has. When I head down to the living room, I ask Yang if there was a problem with altering the school uniform as I take a piece of toast from the plate.

"Well, the dress-code only asks students to wear the uniform, other pieces aren't exactly prohibited." For some reason, I'm just noticing the orange mascada that is tied around her neck. And for even stranger reasons, I'm just _now_ noticing how ample Yang's breasts are, firmly pressed under the shirt of the uniform. I quickly avert my eyes as she continues. "But it isn't very cold either. Spring can get really warm over here."

"I can handle warmth. Thanks for the tip, though." I say as I finish my toast and reach for another one. Once we've eaten, I collect my stuff and give a goodbye to dad as me and Yang start walking to the school.

 **Wednesday, April 5th/ Morning.**

After a bus drive and a short walk, we arrive in front of a wide arc that marked the gates of Montgomery Omen High School.

And it was huge!

The front courtyard was at least half the size of a football field, and it was flanked on the front and right by the school building, an "L" shaped, white wall of three stories, each floor at least three meters tall, while on the left I saw a huge, green building labeled as the GYM. There was a clock on the angle that the building made, and the school emblem -a "M" overlapping an "o"- was carved over the main entrance. There are plenty of other students coming to and fro on the courtyard, all amiably chatting and laughing at some joke. As I take on everything, a breeze hits me from the right; when I look over, I can see a Lighthouse over the distance, standing tall over a cliff, but what really draws my attention is the dark blue sight of the ocean.

"Wow! I never realised we were so close to the sea!"

"Yeah, but sadly the nearest beach is a day away from here." Yang says. "You'll find nothing but cliffs all around Vale."

"Well, maybe we can go on summer break?" I propose hopingly.

"We'll see." She says as she takes a glance at her wristwatch, then makes a panicked face. "Oh crap! See you later Rubes, I have room-duty today and I'm about to get late."

"Wait, I need you to tell me..." She makes a beeline to the right-wing of the building and leaves me completely alone. "...where's my classroom." Great, now I'll have to wander through the hallways until I locate classroom 1-B. Actually, it isn't something really difficult, and I can always ask other people. That'll be easier said than done, though. I take a glance at the clock tower, and see that I have thirty minutes to find it; also, almost everybody is entering the building, so I follow suit.

Once inside, I scan the crowd to see who can I ask. No use, almost everybody are one or two years older than me; and now I remember why am I in high-school in the first place. Stupid, Genius Brain. It's gonna be really awkward to ask somebody and then have them asking if I'm not a bit too young. "Ugh." I settle for walking the hallways, without drawing too much attention to myself, as I look for the room 1-B. I check my watch again, now only twenty five minutes left, so I double my step while keeping my eyes on the plastic signs over each door.

"Oomf!"

I crash right into another student and we both fall on the floor. In a panic, I look around us to see that nobody was around -good, I only embarrassed myself in front of one person- before I look at the other student. She was another girl, with a pale skin and beautiful, long white hair, that she tied on a side-ponytail, and almost-white, blue eyes. She was wearing a long sleeved version of the uniform shirt and had discarded the school jacket. She looked at me for a second before giving me an icy glare. I clamber up to my feet before helping her get up.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where was I going."

"No, you weren't. I guess this will be a lesson for you, isn't it?" She harshly replies before pulling her hand. "You are lucky that nothing serious happened, or we would have a big problem. In the future, try to avoid _running_ into people like a brainless monkey." She started to walk down the hall back from where I was going, while I was wishing for the earth to swallow me up. "By the way," she calls back, "you have smudge in your face."

Defeated and embarrassed, I head for the ladies restroom, make a beeline for the sinks and start cleaning my face. A second after I finish, I hear the sound of a flushing toilet and moaning from one of the stalls; it sounded pained and slightly not feminine. I turn around just in time to see one of the stalls opening and a tall, blonde guy exiting from it. He walked to the sink in front of him and started to rinse his mouth while muttering to himself. "I shouldn't have eaten that waffle…"

I cough a bit so that the guy looked at me, and after a moment he straightened himself, a slight flush crossing his face. "This… isn't the men's bathroom, is it?"

I let out a giggle. "Nope."

"Oh, dammit! Please don't tell anyone. I'm already having a bad day as it is!"

"Hey, don't worry!" I say to him. "I'm not gonna call you out or anything. You had an emergency and came to the nearest place you could." I give him a stinky eye. "That's what happened, right?"

He stiffened even more and made a crossing gesture over his chest while raising the other hand. "I-I swear!"

"Ok! Let me go out first and I'll tell you if it's safe to go." I do as I said and the guy leaves the bathroom without inconveniences.

"Whew! You really saved me… Um?"

"Oh! I'm Ruby." I introduce myself as I offer him a handshake, which he accepts.

"Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, girls love it."

I let out a snort. "What do they love, the name or the guy?"

He feigns insult. "I don't see a reason why they can't love both!" I can't help but laugh a little, much to Jaune's dismay. "So, you new here at MOS?"

"Yeah, it's my first day, so I'm trying to get up to speed. Ooh! Do you know where classroom 1-B is?" I ask, remembering that there's only ten minutes left for classes to start.

"You kidding? That's also my classroom!" Jaune announces. "But, we better hurry. You don't want to give a bad impression to Ms. Goodwitch."

We arrive at the classroom with a good five minutes of advantage. Soon, the bell rings and everybody else enters the room while I wait the teacher to arrive. I see her coming down the hall, green eyes fixed on a clipboard while she made her way towards me. She had a curly, blonde hair, tied on a loose bun, and was wearing a purple business suit. She was only few feet away from me when she raised her gaze and gave me a weird look, stern but calculating, as if sizing me up. "Ms. Rose, I presume?" I nod once, completely intimidated by this imposing woman. "Very well. Please accompany me."

We both enter the classroom, where everybody became deathly quiet when Ms. Goodwitch took the podium, while I stood beside her. I look over the classroom and see Jaune sitting in the second line, and in front of him was…

OH SHOOT! It's that girl from the hallway!

Why am I feeling so cold all of the sudden?

"Attention class." Ms. Goodwitch announced in a firm tone. "Today we're receiving a transfer student from Patch; please, welcome Ms. Ruby Rose." There are some murmurs among some of the students, I try as much as I can to ignore when they say something regarding my age. "I know what you're thinking, but Ms. Rose's academic record is the highest of her former class, and thus the school system decided to promote her to this year. I hope you can make her feel welcome.

"Ms. Rose, please take your seat." She says while pointing a free desk in the front line, but it is right besides the white haired girl.

"Are you sure that seat isn't occupied?" I ask in hopes that she could assign me another seat.

"I don't see anybody seated there, is there?" She simply replied, which left me no other choice than to take my new seat. And if the look this girl was giving me was any indication, this was going to be a long year.

 **Wednesday, April 5th/ After School.**

"That'd be everything for today." Ms. Goodwitch finally announced, prompting everybody to pick their things and start chatting between themselves. The white haired girl simply got off and left the room. Ms. Goodwitch spoke over the murmurs and chatter. "Remember to read chapters three and four of your textbooks for next week." After she got her papers ordered and approached the door, the intercom chimed to life.

"Ms. Goodwitch, could you please go to the director's office? There's a matter that needs your attention." I see the teacher give an annoyed sigh as she exited the room. I think nothing of it and get ready to head out, once outside I meet with Jaune.

"So, I noticed that Weiss was glaring at you." He points out. "You made friends with the "Ice Queen", it seems."

So her name is Weiss. "Yeah, I kinda rammed into her early, by accident. She was pretty mean though. What's her problem anyway?"

"Eh, don't take it personally, she's like that to everybody. But I don't think she's _that_ bad. I bet that once someone wins her heart, she'll warm up to everybody." He has a funny look on his face when he said that last part. "But anyways. You're doing anything now?"

I ponder it for a few seconds. "Well, gotta catch up with my sis first, before deciding anything."

"Sounds like a plan." He says. With that, we head outside to the meeting of the right wing students, where I quickly spot Yang talking with some of her classmates. She notices me and waves before walking toward us.

"Hey Ruby! How was your first day?"

"It was okay, nothing bad but nothing great yet." I say to her before turning to Jaune, who is looking slack-jawed at Yang. "Oh! By the way: He's Jaune Arc, we're in the same class. Jaune, this is my sister, Yang."

"Whoah, she's your sister?!" He asks a little too loud, before catching himself. "I mean, you don't _look_ alike."

Did he mean...? Oh, he didn't! What does _that_ have to do with anything anyway?

"Well, he seems like a funny guy." Yang says offhandedly before pulling me in a bear hug. "And I'm so proud that my baby sis made a friend!" I muffle out something along the lines of:

"I'm glad to know you trust so much in my social skills."

She lets go off me, and after I recover my breath I turn to her. "Yang, Jaune was asking if we all could go to the town. Y'know, hang out and stuff."

"Sounds good to me." She says. "Dad still wants us to get home early, but a quick trip around town wouldn't hurt."

With that settled, we head to the town proper. It is a really pretty place, the concrete buildings aren't very tall, and all looked well maintained and freshly painted in tones of grey and brown. We arrived first at the food businesses, where you could find anything from fried food to frozen fruit. We stopped to grab a soda and some snacks in one of the kiosks, where we hang around for a while before continuing to the shopping district.

However, not two minutes in there and we see something odd going on. There is a police car stationed on one side of the street in front of a jewelry store. The door had police tape tied onto it and two officers were interviewing a woman. I feel a sense of dread forming in the mouth of my stomach. I'm pulled from that scene when Yang tugs my arm. "Ruby, we should go home." Her voice was firm but her face looked worried.

"Y-yeah, we can continue the visit some other day." Jaune added, not less worried than Yang.

"But, what's going on? You know what happened?"

"I'll tell you back home. Right now we should return." I saw there was no point arguing with that, so we say our goodbyes to Jaune as we head for the bus station. "Look, I don't like to keep secrets, but I don't want dad worrying either, so we'll tell him we were just at the food court when we get back. Ok?" I nod to her and hop onto the next bus.

 **Wednesday, April 5th/ Evening.**

When we got back home, dad was reading the newspaper on the table and asked us how was our day. I tell him about today's lessons, the little mishap I had with Weiss and I tell him about Jaune. Yang then tells him about our visit to the town's food court before proceeding with how was her day. We all go upstairs after resting a little to help me unpack the rest of my stuff. Between getting my clothes on the wardrobe, setting up my personal computer and some mementos I kept from Patch, it takes us a good amount of time, seeing that it's almost time for dinner. Dad gets himself busy while Yang and I watch TV, when a news report interrupts the broadcast.

"Breaking News in the Town of Vale: A jewelry store owner was assaulted this afternoon, event that ended in tragedy." The news announcer informs as pictures of the same jewelry store we saw earlier. Yang becomes visibly upset, while dad pops out of the kitchen to see the news broadcast. "The Police has revealed that this crime was performed by a young man at around 10:30 in the morning, who started to relentlessly attack the owner of the store, killing him in the process. The perpetrator 'once again' seemed at a loss after the deed, but was arrested all the same. The identities of those involved remain currently undisclosed.

"Police denies the possibility of this new Act of Violence to be connected in any way to the ones committed the past months, and~" The TV shuts down and I see dad lowering the control.

"He already said all the facts he wanted to say. That Ian loves to gush over crazy theories." He eyes both of us with curiosity. "You were downtown earlier today, didn't you? Did you hear or see any of this?"

"No, this is the first time I hear of it." I tell him. It's not exactly a lie, I think to myself. Dad luckily drops off the subject and we eat dinner: he made sloppy joes. After Dinner, we play a board game and watch more TV. Once dad goes off for the night, Yang and I head upstairs and into her room. Her room looks almost like mine, except hers has yellow wallpaper and cream carpet. I sit on her desk chair and wait until she starts talking.

"Look, I was hoping you wouldn't learn about this this soon. It's not exactly a pleasant subject." She pauses for a second before continuing. "You heard what the reporter guy said? About these 'Acts of Violence'?" I nod.

"Well, they started back in January: somebody went mad and killed somebody else. After that, the person acted like he had amnesia or something, claiming 'it wasn't me!'" She shudders a little. "The next month, there was another incident, and the same happened, and then the next. These four months, there has been a murder in which the killer seemed to honestly forget everything that had happened."

"Wow, that's horrible." I remember how she reacted back in town. "No wonder you were so worried."

"I told you this was unpleasant." She said with a certain hint of sickness. "I mean, this town isn't perfect, but these murders are really something nasty. Even the most wanted around here aren't killers!"

"But, if all the attacks have been the same, how come the Police hasn't made a connection?"

"Because they don't know what is causing these people to go mad. Nobody does. The only patterns that people have figured out are that it only happens once a month, and that it never happens in residential areas. So we should be safe in here at least." I still feel a little shaken after learning all of this, and I notice that Yang is looking a little down herself. I stand up and go for a hug.

"Thanks for looking out for me." I feel her returning the hug.

"No problem." She suddenly starts up and looks at me with a big smile. "By the way, I forgot to give you something yesterday." She says as she walks towards her desk and takes a box out of it's drawer. "I know you said you didn't want us to shower you with gifts, but I won't take a no for an answer." She hands me the package. It is a brand new smartphone! "It is already set up and has my contact information and pop's. Figured you'd need one now."

I laugh a little. "Yeah, I guess mine is too busted anyway." I say as I produce a similar device on a red case, which had its entire screen completely shattered, which made Yang cringe in pain.

"Jeez! What did you use it for?!" We laugh for a while. I remove the broken phone from my case and dispose of it after Yang helps me move my data from one phone to the other and go through all the apps and widgets. The mood from the earlier conversation quickly disappearing.

After that, I go to my room, get changed, get in bed and program the alarm to wake me up earlier than today's morning. I poke the framed picture on the table and turn off the lights. "Goodnight mommy."

* * *

 **A/N** : PLEASE READ THIS NOTE.

I haven't finished playing through Persona 4, so please refrain yourself from typing anything related to that game's plot. Thank you very much.


	3. Th, 4-6

**Th, 4/6**

 **Thursday, April 6th/ Morning.**

We arrived to MOS after a fairly quick bus trip, so we have a lot of spare time before classes start today. Students are all talking about yesterday's news about the crime on the jewelry store, some people really sound upset about the store owner but some others seem more concerned about the store closing down. The term "Acts of Violence" seems to have been adopted by the whole student body, prompting everybody to formulate theories and assemble conjectures about what might be causing them. To be honest, none of them sound really convincing.

"Ugh, can you believe this people?" Yang asks as we walk down the hall. "I mean, have some dignity. Sheesh."

"Well, what else can we do? It isn't exactly something that can be ignored. People are just curious." I say. In all honesty, I am _really_ curious about all of this. That is something I cannot help myself with; when I discover something, I need to look at it closely to understand it, and sometimes… well, let's just say I wasn't getting near cats for a full year because of my curiosity. Oh the irony.

Back to the present, I also knew that this was something way out of my league. If I'd tried to get closer and find out more about these Acts of Violence, it was probably that I'd get into trouble, or worse. I could be called many things, but "reckless" isn't one of them.

We reach the "corner" of the school building and just stand there until it's time to go to class. There's another group of theorists nearby having yet another debate about the Acts of Violence. Among them, was a first year girl with short, orange hair and turquoise eyes, who was heatedly discussing with one of the two guys.

"I'm telling you, man. Aliens are washing people's brains on their sleep to make them attack each other, so that they can take over the world! Divide and conquer!" The girl rants frantically, making over exaggerated gestures with both arms.

"Get real, Valkyrie. Aliens ain't real." The other guy says. "I think it is an experimental drug made by terrorists to make their enemies fight each other, and we are their guinea pigs."

"Oh yeah? Then why does the police report that all suspects have been found clean?" Valkyrie retorts back.

"Because it is all a conspiracy!"

"Guys, come on." The second guy says. "This is clearly work of evil spirits. The town was settled over ancient, sacred lands, and now we are receiving the spirits' vengeful wrath!" At that, the "Conspiracy Guy" bursted laughing.

"Ghosts? Really? Man, that theory is even dumber than Nora's!"

"Hey!"

"Dude, who'd say that it isn't pos~." The "Spirit Guy" trailed off and looked down the hall. I follow his gaze and see a tall student walking this way. He has short, black hair and a single pink lock of hair on his left bang and equally pink eyes. He didn't say a word, he simply walked past Yang, I and the other group without giving a single glance. I see the two guys averting their eyes anyway, while "Nora" just had this confused look on her. Only after the other guy left did they relaxed.

"Jeez, that was close." Conspiracy says.

"Yeah, a little more and we received the Lie 'Buzzkill' Ren treatment." Spirit adds. "What's his problem?"

"Beats me." Nora quips.

First term is about to start, so everybody heads to their classroom. I sit on my desk and wait until Ms. Goodwitch arrives. Weiss also sits down, and this time she's just ignoring me. I guess that's better than being glared on. Jaune enters the room and approaches both our desk. "Hey Ruby! Ms. Weiss."

"Hi Jaune. How are you?" I ask. I notice that Weiss didn't even acknowledged Jaune's 'hi'. "You got home safe?"

"Yeah, no problem. I'm a little shaken up though. All of this is 'murder talk' is making me really uncomfortable."

I nod. "Tell me about it."

"Yeah. Although, you'll never believe what I found out about yesterday." Jaune leans closer to whisper. "They say that the perp was~"

"Please sit down, Mr. Arc." Ms. Goodwitch says from the room's door, making Jaune bolt back up and into his desk. Professor Goodwitch then walked to her podium and called out to everyone. "Attention students! I was told to inform you that your classmate, Mr. Thrush, who skipped class yesterday, has been arrested under the charge of murder." Everybody starts whispering among themselves -Jaune told me that that's what he wanted to tell me- before the professor spoke again. "If you must know, I'll tell you that Mr. Thrush was the person involved on the jewelry store incident you all heard about. He's yet to face trial for the deed, but it doesn't affect our lessons program in the slightest.

"Which reminds me: Tomorrow is the Welcoming Ceremony, so I expect that all of you assist to it. It also means that classes will end early, so you'll have more than enough time to do this week's assignment."

There was a collective groan among some of the students, but my mind goes back to the incident. This is _really_ beyond my understanding, but each time I hear something about the Acts of Violence, I can't help but wonder what is causing it. I decide to pay attention to today's lesson and keep my mind busy.

 **Thursday, April 6th/ After School.**

I go to the front courtyard after classes end to wait for Yang and go home early when I'm approached by a second year student. She had long black hair that she tied on one side with a bow-shaped hair clip, and beautiful golden eyes; she wore a black sweater over her uniform and had a digital camera hanging around her neck.

"Excuse me," Says the girl, "are you Xiao Long's sister?"

"Um, yes?" I answer hesitantly. She then handed me Yang's backpack.

"Your sister forgot her things in the classroom. Can you give them to her?"

"Sure, thanks." I say to her as I hang the backpack on my shoulder, I carry my things on my hand anyway. "By the way, do you know where she is?" I ask after realising I don't see Yang anywhere.

"She must be in judo practice; she's the team captain. I would go home if I were you though, nobody can enter the gym once they start."

"I see." I mutter as I look at the GYM building, then turn back to see the girl walking to the main gate. "Wait! I didn't heard your name." The girl turns back and just stares at me for a moment.

"I'm Blake."

"Ok, thanks Blake!" I tell her back. She nods once before crossing the gates and heading toward the town. I decide to go home on my own after sending a text message to Yang to tell her that Blake gave me her backpack; I do have homework to do.

 **Thursday, April 6th/ Evening.**

After getting home, I get down with the textbooks until I finish most the assigned chapters. I start watching TV before going to my computer to begin the written assignment. Ms. Goodwitch insisted that submissions should be sent virtually, so its due date is this sunday rather than monday. Dad sits with me and together we watch a marathon of this cartoon about two "losers" that are struggling to become superheroes. It isn't that bad, though I don't understand some of the jokes. Yang arrives by the time the marathon ends.

"Hey guys!" She greets. She is wearing a grey workout suit and her hair looked a little damp.

"Hey there, sunshine." Dad greets back, getting off from the sofa.

"Hi Yang. Did you get my text?"

"I did! Remember me to thank Belladonna tomorrow." I notice she didn't call her by her first name. Then again, Blake didn't either.

"Aren't you two friends?"

"Not exactly," Yang says as she seats on one of the couches, "we get along, but she isn't the most talkative person. She's usually spends time on her photography hobby. I think she once said that she was training for journalism or something."

"Wow, that's kinda cool." I remember that she had a camera hanging on her neck, so she probably was headed to take some pictures of… the jewelry store.

I mentally groan as I try to forget the incident for a third time today.

Yang is doing dinner tonight, but she won't tell me what she's doing nor letting me peek on the kitchen. I decide to go and begin the assignment, from which I make a pretty huge progress actually. Just as I finish for today, Yang has the food ready: tonight we have tacos for dinner. I am a little wary this time, since I don't do well with spicy food, at least we have milk ready on the table, just in case.

After the _painful_ experience with the chillies, I go to my room and rearrange my things for tomorrow, since we'll be leaving MOS before lunch. I get ready to bed and poke my mom's nose as I turn off the lights, giving her her "goodnight".


	4. Fr, 4-7

**Fr, 4/7**

 **Friday, April 7th/ Early Morning.**

Today is the Welcoming Ceremony at MOS, all first year students must assist. I decide to drop my hoodie today in favor of the regular uniform jacket. Yang made sunnyside eggs and toasted bread for breakfast. I don't see dad anywhere.

"Yang, where's dad?" I ask.

"Hmm? Oh right, you don't know yet." Yang says through bites. "He's a private tutor. Right now, he's giving physics to some college students, this year he's working on fridays. He won't return until seven, though." She explains as she puts a forkful of egg on her mouth. She took a glance at the wall clock and her face turned pale as she audibly swallowed. "Uh oh."

That didn't sound good. "Let me guess, we're supposed to be earlier to school today?"

"Yep."

Why am I not surprised? "And we have less than an hour to get there?"

"Pretty much."

"... Bring it on."

We ravish what is left of the breakfast and make a run to the bus stop to try and save some time. The bus gets us to MOS just ten minutes before the bell rings. I go to my classroom and see most of my classmates just as fatigued as I am, while a few of them seemed to be very sleepy. First lesson is history, so everybody is less than enthusiastic to be here, especially when our history teacher, Dr. Oobleck, gets in the room and starts fast-talking into the lesson. He didn't seem fatigued or sleepy, and his energy plus weird appearance -he is wearing a gladiator helmet!- made me decide on one thing:

I'm gonna hate fridays.

 **Friday, April 7th/ Afternoon.**

By the time lunchtime arrived, I was feeling dead. Having rushed my breakfast and raced to catch the bus had made a wreck on my digestion -not to mention last night tacos haven't completely exited my system- and history didn't become less jarring over time. I wasn't quite ready to call it a day yet, and after the ceremony had finished I figured I would feel better.

The Welcoming Ceremony was being held on the Gym: the whole building held a basketball course with two boards, several gym gear like ropes, mats, trampolines, etc. There was a stage in front of us, with a single podium with the school emblem painted on it, and on top I could see a small mic. I didn't pay a lot of attention to it though, and just lean on the foldable chair I was seating on. I was so thankful that there were chairs on the Gym, since I was pretty sure I couldn't stand up. Jaune was sitting to my left and he looked really bored; he took a glance at me and he sitted up from his chair a little.

"Ruby, you okay?" He asks. "You look kinda dead."

I hold back a groan as I answer. "Kinda… nobody told me that today we have classes earlier." I want to go to my bed.

"Yeah, I guess I should have told you. Sorry." He offers sheepishly.

"It's no problem. I just want to get this over with."

As if waiting for me to state my wish, all the idle chatting ended and everyone's attention moved to the sound of a cane coming from the stage, where a middle aged man with gray hair made his way toward the podium. He wore a green jacket and one of those patterned vests over his white shirt, with matching green pants; he also had a pair of glasses mounted on the bridge of his nose. He reached the podium and started speaking while scanning the whole audience.

"Greetings students. First, let me welcome all of you to this new school year at the Montgomery Omen High School. Now, for the first year students who don't know who I am, I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of this institute. It is a pleasure to me to welcome all of you to this school.

"It's been our purpose since day one to offer teachings of advanced knowledge of the best quality to the young men and women that study inside our walls, as well as to help them become brilliant examples of today's society. But we cannot do that by ourselves; you also need to put an effort. Remember, striving to reach your full potential is the key to success."

He kept giving his speech while looking at each of the first year students. However, when his eyes rested on me, they widened for a second, almost imperceptible unless you were looking from where I was sitting. He kept moving his gaze along the next student, leaving me slightly confused. Could I have imagined it?

"Now, Student Council's President, Ms. Pyrrha Nikos, asked to say a few words in face of the recent event, involving one of our own students." Professor Ozpin said as he made way on the podium for a tall girl to take his place. She had a bright red hair tied on a ponytail, with a golden headband holding back her bangs and revealing bright, intense green eyes. She smiled as she addressed the headmaster.

"Thank you, professor." She said as she turned to the audience. "And thank you all for coming today. I wanted to give all first year students a warm welcome in behalf of the student body. We, members of the Student Council, are always concerned with the well being of everyone on the school. That is why the news of the sixth has us extremely disturbed.

"I will not defend Russel Thrush's actions, since nobody forced him to skip class and do what he did that day. I am willing to believe that this is an isolated incident, and that Mr. Thrush just made a bad decision that leaded him to where he's now. However, condemning him would be unfair because he just made a bad decision. Like Professor Ozpin said: It is our responsibility to try and become commendable members of our society The purpose of this school is to teach us how to make the right decisions. That's why I'm inviting you all to participate on this campaign. Let's all of us strive to become better persons. Thank you."

Everybody erupted to applause as she left the stage. "Wow, she's a really good orator."

"Yeah…" Jaune replied absentmindedly. He has this funny look on his face again, and his eyes are fixed on the Council's President.

I decide to tease him a little. "Set eyes on a new girl already? And here I thought we had something special!" I said with fake hurting.

"Wait, what? Ruby, are you… I- I- I mean, we've only met two days ago..." He completely panics.

I can't keep up with this. "Don't worry lover-boy, I'm just messing with you." I say in middle of a snort. "I'm not looking for a relationship now anyway." I say as I fight back a yawn, are we done now?

"Ha ha. Very funny." Jaune says with little bitterness on his voice. He doesn't wallow on it for too long anyway, since the headmaster has taken to the podium again.

"Well, that'll be everything today. Please enjoy the rest of the weekend."

With that, everybody got up from their chairs. I waited until my row was completely empty before I also got and made my way towards the Gym's entrance. Yang was waiting right outside with a can of cola, which she handed to me. "Here, I figured you'd need one too." She said before taking a chug from her own can.

"Thanks." I mutter as I open the can and gingerly sip from it. Man, does it feel good a little caffeine after all of this. "I thought I was done for sure."

"Yeah, next week will be different luckily." She says as she crumples her can and tosses it to a garbage bin. "I am seriously beat, though. Wanna call it a day?"

"Yeah, I need to pass out on my bed." I say as I tighten my grip on my bag. Or I would have hadn't been for one detail…

I didn't have it with me.

"Ah! Where's my stuff?!" I say as I look around on the floor.

"Wouldn't you have left it on the gym?" Yang suggests.

"Right, I need to hurry before~" I'm about to crash into Weiss when I turn to the gym's door.

I bury my feet to the ground to break my momentum, but she was already in right front of me. Weiss was able to pull back just in time before we knocked each other out, but was still close enough. Between the surprise and the startle, I let go off my can of soda, which drops inside a paper bag she was carrying. We both watch as the amber liquid poured itself inside the bag and over a white piece of fabric. It takes me only a moment to realize what just happened:

I had ruined an expensive dress. Owned by Weiss…

… And I've lost my can of cola.

Somebody kill me.

"You…" Came a cold whisper from Weiss. "YOU!"

"GAAAH! I'msorrypleasedon'tkillme!"

"Do you have any idea of what you just did?!" She shouted at me while shaking the bag with the more than ruined dress. "This was a custom made _Violette_! Do you have any idea of how hard it is to get one of these?!"

At Weiss relentless assault, Yang stepped in between the two of us. "Hey, keep it down! It was an accident!"

Weiss seemed to regain some composure, but she still glared icicles at me. "Maybe, but she still caused me a huge inconvenience."

I dared to ask. "Wh- what do you mean?"

"I was going to have this dress fixed for an important dinner my father will be holding next sunday. But now I'll have to get it cleaned _and_ fixed! It won't be ready in time." She squinted her eyes at me again. "All because of you."

Now it was my turn to glare at her. She was being unnecessarily rude, and I wasn't gonna let her walk over me like that. "We already told you it was an accident! You can't hold it against me that you had your frilly dress exposed like that."

"You are right! I should have been more cautious while walking near a dangerous hazard!"

"Okay, that's enough!" Yang cutted in, before taking a deep breath and speaking more calmly. "Listen, it is both your fault as much as it isn't anyone's. It was just bad luck."

Weiss huffed and looked away from us. "Hmph, I suppose you are right."

"That's why instead of focusing on who is to blame, let's try to find a solution to it."

I decide to talk too. "Yang is right. Listen, Weiss," she turns back, still upset, but I do my best to remain level headed, "I'm really sorry for ruining your dress. If there's anything I could do to make it up to you, I will do it. Just name it."

Weiss just keeps staring at me, as if pondering whether or not accept my offer. It extends to an awkward minute before she finally sighs. "Very well. It would be improper of me if I rejected a sincere apology." She looked again at her dress wincing before looking at her silver wristwatch. "Like I said, this dress won't be ready in time, so I need a new one before sunday. Would you be able to _assist_ me in getting a new one?"

I release a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Sure, no problem at all." My vision suddenly becomes foggy, and I'm reminded of how bad I'm actually feeling. "Just… today I'm not feeling too great."

Weiss makes an annoyed groan. "Would you be able tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Then we'll meet tomorrow at the shopping district. I'll be there at ten in the morning." And with that, she walked past us and headed down the street.

"Well, that could have gone better." Yang mutters.

Still, today can't get any worse. At least I got the chance to fix one problem, but I really wasn't excited about it. I go back to the gym where I find all my things and then head home with Yang.

 **Friday, April 7th/ Evening.**

I'm not feeling any better when we arrive home. I excuse myself to my room and plop on my bed, not bothering to change from my uniform. I'm called two hours later for dinner, where we ate noodle soup. Dad arrived just after we finished. After that and a hot shower, I'm feeling back to normal, but I decide to take some fever medicine and get to bed early.

Tomorrow was gonna be a long day.


	5. Sa, 4-8

**Sa, 4/8**

 **Saturday, April 8th/ Morning.**

I wake up completely refreshed and filled with energy. I look through my window and see that there isn't a single cloud in the sky. With a day like this, it's almost a shame that I won't be spending it under my terms. I check the alarm clock and see it is only eight o'clock; I still have two hours free before I meet with Weiss at the shopping district. I put on a black t-shirt, jeans and my red hoodie and head down to the kitchen to help me a bowl of cereal.

"G'morning sweetie." Said dad from the counter, holding a large mug of coffee. "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah, yesterday was just too much at the same time." I tell him as I get a spoonful of flakes and raisins on my mouth. "I'm all good today."

Dad lets out a mighty yawn before taking a sip from his mug. "I'm glad to hear that…" He says. There was a long silence for a moment before he started again. "Your sister told me you have to go to town."

"Yeeeah, about that~" How was I gonna explain him.

"Yang told me already, and I think it is very nice of you to help out this girl even after how she treated you. But…" He takes another sip from his coffee. "I'm just a little worried, is all."

"W-why would you be worried?" I ask.

"Well, with everything that's been happening in town, well… I just want to be sure nothing will …" He just keeps trailing off, not really saying anything, but clearly trying to. Not to mention that it is pretty obvious what he's referring to.

I decide to speak up. "I think I know what you mean." I say as I finish my breakfast and take the bowl to the sink. "Listen, I've heard about these incidents, but I already decided not to mess with any of that. I'll admit, I'm curious, but I just don't want to get into trouble." I look at him again, but he doesn't look any more assured. "Dad, I know you're worried, but I'm not a careless girl." I say, looking him straight in the eye.

He takes a deep breath before finally loosening a little. "Very well, Ruby. I believe you." He reached to put a hand on my shoulder. "But I do want you to be very careful, okay?"

"Okay." I answer as I squeeze his hand on my shoulder.

About nine, Yang comes down to the living room wearing an orange t-shirt, a sleeveless, brown cargo jacket and knee-length tight shorts. She had insisted on coming with me to this shopping trip, and I didn't object, so after she ate breakfast we made our way toward town.

 **Saturday, April 8th/ Daytime.**

We remain on the bus a few stops beyond the one near the school and hop out in the middle of the shopping district, a few blocks away from the clothing stores. The lack of police cars and any sort of commotion allowed me to better appreciate the sight of this place: bright banners adorned the front of each business, large windows showcased a few of their wares, and it was an overall colorful place.

I dare a glance to the place I remember being the jewelry store, to find that it was no longer cordoned by the police, and that on its entrance were many flower arrangements carefully placed on the floor. It was really touching, actually, but I don't linger too much on it, instead focusing on what we came to do today. We found Weiss standing in front of the clothes stores, looking every so impatient; Her attire consisted on a long-sleeved, white blouse, with a matching skirt with black rimming and high-heeled boots.

She looked at us and made a face that suggested she wasn't very pleased that we've arrived, and that's exactly how she sounded when she started speaking. "You are late."

"You said 'ten in the morning.'" Yang replied back. "It's five for ten."

At that, Weiss took a glance at her watch and her eyes widened when she confirmed that that was exactly the time. "Right. My mistake." She said looking all the embarrassed. "It's just that I honestly thought you wouldn't show up."

I hold back a retort before speaking up "Well, we're here now, so where do you want to start."

Weiss gave off a smirk that inspired more concern than relief to me. "I'm glad you asked: We'll start on this boutique right here, where you'll help me looking for an appropriate dress for my dinner tomorrow; if we can't find one in here, then we'll go to the next store down the street, and then the next and so on."

"That doesn't sound too difficult." I say. "How many boutiques are in town?"

Yang beats Weiss to the answer. "About five or six."

Ouch! That's a lot actually. "Well, we should get started then."

We enter the first store and start browsing through the pieces they had on sale. It was a little bumpy at first, what with Weiss having a derisive comment about the first dresses I picked up and showed to her, but with time I got a good grasp of what she was looking for, though we didn't have any luck on this store. We went for the next one down the street, but this one was just taking inventory of their clothes, so we had to move on to the next one. The third store was significantly bigger than the other one, with a few more racks filled with various dresses and other clothing articles. We browse a little and stumble upon a black edged, white dress, with transparent straps and a lace pattern on the rim of the skirt; It wasn't something impressive, but it was certainly eye-catching in my opinion, so I think of showing it to Weiss.

"Hey, Weiss. I think this one's good." She hangs again the dress she was looking at and glances over me. She then walks to me and examines the dress, turning it around to look at it from all angles. The seconds seem to turn into minutes as her scrutinizing gaze scanned the whole article, a frown never leaving her face.

After what felt like hours, she finally spoke up. "I need to try it on." She said as she grabbed my wrist and turned to walk towards the dressing room, dragging me along with her. As we got to the back of the store, Yang came around one of the racks and followed us into the changing room: A spacious, round hub area, with red carpet, which was connected to around ten stalls; there was a circular seat and across from the entrance was a large vanity mirror, with a beautiful hand carved frame. Weiss went for the stall right to the mirror and closed the door behind her, leaving me and Yang to wait.

I feel a spike of pain on my head suddenly, but it ended briefly. It must have been pretty obvious since Yang turned to me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah… just a small migraine."

"Hmm, maybe. You should've taken an aspirin before leaving, though."

"I'll take one when we get back."

When Weiss came out of the stall, she was wearing the dress I gave her. I had to say, she looked beautiful. She really looked great on the dress, and I noticed that she had thought the same as she looked herself on the mirror, if her smile meant something.

Wow, I saw Weiss smiling. That's a rare occurrence.

"You look really well in that dress." Yang comments. "It's almost as if it was made for you."

Weiss turned from the mirror as we both stood up and walked to her. "Yes, this dress will definitely do." She then looked at me. "I think we're even now."

I do a victory dance inside my head, but kept it short because of another, less painful ping. I laugh a little to dismiss it. "You're welcome, Weiss. I'm glad I could help." I see the price-tag still tied on one of the straps and curiosity gets the best of me when I reach out to read it. "Well, I suppose you can afford it, it is really expensive."

At that, Weiss stiffened up and started frowning again. "I _can_ afford it, there's no doubt about it." Her tone then turned threatening. "But I was expecting you to pay it."

What?

"What!?"

"WHAT!?" Yang bellowed, completely furious. "Hey, that isn't fair at all!"

"What do you mean it is not fair?" Weiss replies. "That's why we're here, isn't it? Your sister ruined my dress, and so she offered help me to _get_ a new one." She said matter of factly.

"Yeah! But that doesn't mean she'll be paying it! She doesn't have enough money to begin with."

I try to find a solution to this. "Yang, can't you pool a little in?"

"Sorry Ruby, I didn't ruin the dress."

"YANG!"

"Ugh, this is unbelievable!" Weiss starts. "Are you seriously going back on your word?"

"No, I won't!" I reply back. "But we never agreed that I'd be paying for your new dress."

"Yeah Weiss, you are just doing this because you want to! Don't be a bi~!"

"YANG!" I cut her back.

"How dare you?" Weiss gasps and starts moving towards the exit. "I will call the attendant to fix all of this."

"Hey, we're not done here!" Yang said as she reached to grab her by the arm.

"Yang, wait, we can fix this!" I grab her by the neck of her jacket and pull hard.

Yang had also pulled back Weiss from the arm, just at the same time I did, which in turn created enough momentum to push all three of us backwards, in crashing course towards the vanity mirror.

There's a sound of glass breaking.

 **Saturday, April 8th/ ?.**

We all trip over ourselves and land on the white carpet floor of the changing room in a heap. I feel the weight of the two other girls lifting away from my body and I sit up on the floor, rubbing my crushed breasts. If I get out of this more flat than before, I was going to kill Yang. As I recover my bearings, I notice something different about the room. I keep staring at it, even thought I heard Yang and Weiss still discussing. "Guys?"

"Be more careful! You could have seriously hurt me!"

"Serves you right for trying to scam us!"

"How dare you even suggesting that~!"

"Guys!" I scream at the two of them. "Don't you notice something weird?" That made them quiet at least, and both of them started looking at the change in scenery.

We were still on the changing room, but everything was now white. Walls, carpet, seat, doors, etc. Everything was lacking of any color other than white and light greys. Also, the lights on the ceiling were still on, but the light emitted from the lightbulbs felt different, brighter, as if it was natural light, which only made it look unnatural.

"Wh- what just happened?" Yang asked, looking around the room.

"Why is everything white? This doesn't look aesthetic at all." Weiss complained as she stood up and brushed herself. "You, what is going on?" She asked me.

"I don't know! I'm just as confused as you are."

"Well, something happened that made everything so white." She suddenly gasped and started to panic. "Did I go colorblind?!"

"Uhh, I'm pretty sure women can't be colorblind, princess."

"Yeah, and all three of us can't see anything but white… except for my hoodie and Yang's clothes!" I note. Effectively, neither of us have lost a single speck of color on ourselves, even Weiss stood out a little among all this whiteness. "Then it is only this room that changed."

"Really?" Yang says. "Well, I guess it'd make sense since it's a _changing_ room." She said as a wide smile appeared on her features. I laugh a little bit

"Was that a joke?" Weiss asks.

"Sorry, was trying to lighten the mood." Yang offered apologetically. "But I guess it wasn't the right time."

"Well, let's go out and see what is happening." I suggest.

We all leave the changing room, only to find that the rest of the store was also devoid of color. All the clothes were perfectly white, and the unnatural light from the ceiling was all the brighter, illuminating every corner of the store. This light is becoming really annoying, but for some reason it isn't blinding me when I look at it directly. I look away and try to look for the store attendant, but we all start getting nervous when we don't see anybody on the store; employees, clients, the place was devoid of color _and_ any sign of life.

Weiss rushes to the window, only to slump back in a defeated gesture. "It is the same even outside. Everything became white!"

"But it doesn't make any sense!" I say as I near the window and look for myself that streets and sidewalks were ivory colored, and I couldn't see a single soul either. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"I'm not sure, Ruby." Yang says as she stares through the window, or rather _at_ the window. "This looks more like something from a sci-fi movie."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at the store's name." She orders. I do as I'm told and read the name of the boutique that was painted on the glass pane that covered the window.

"It says 'Adel's.' What about it?"

"You can read it just fine, correct?" I nod. "But we're _inside_ the store."

My eyes widen as I realized what she meant. "You're right, it _should_ be backwards, so that people could read the name from outside the store."

"That's not the only thing…" Weiss interjects as she walked to the store's door to the right. "This door should be on the left, it even opens to the other side." She adds while opening the door as if to emphasize it. "It's like everything also got inverted!"

"What is going on?" Yang asks while scratching her head.

"I don't know, but I don't like it! I want to go back!" Weiss cried as she put both hands on her head.

This isn't good. All three of us stumbled upon this… reversed world, and none of us knew what to do. I felt frustrated, powerless; yet those feelings made me want to look for something that could help us, something we could learn about this place. I was feeling curiosity.

"I think we should look around." I finally spoke, drawing attention from both of them. "I mean… this is clearly another world. We need to find out how we got here, then we might find a way out."

"Why don't we try looking in the changing room then?" Yang suggests. "We arrived on that place, there has to be a clue in there."

"Wait!" Weiss exclaims. "I think I remember hearing broken glass when the change happened, as if we went through a window or…" She suddenly runs back to the changing room, while both Yang and I give her chase. When we arrive, we see her pressing both hands on the vanity mirror, but she quickly stopped. "It's no use…" She says in a defeated tone.

"What were you trying to do?" I ask her.

"I think that we fell right through the mirror after you made us trip over," she answered, pretending that there isn't a jab on that sentence, "it was right behind all three of us when that happened…"

"But when we fell, it was in front of us." Yang finished that sentence. "So it is a doorway of some sorts. That would also explain why everything is switched around: We're in a reflected world."

"But isn't that impossible?" Weiss asks. "Yes, I tried to go through just now, but it didn't work. It _has_ to be something else."

"Unless it's a one way door." I quickly add. "Maybe it is locked from this side or something like that."

"So are we trapped?!" Yang says panicking.

"T- trapped?" Weiss looks even more upset. "Oh no, nononono! I can't be trapped, there are still a lot of things I need to do today! I can't stay here!"

"Guys! Calm down!" I shout at both of them, I take a deep breath as all three of us calm a little. My head is starting to hurt, not just a ping, but more like it is slowly building up. "Listen, we just stumbled upon a way in, there might also be a way out of here." I see Weiss eyeing me with some mistrust, but finally nods in agreement, as so does Yang. "Let's try looking around, see if we can find another mirror or something."

"But if we come out from another mirror, wouldn't we end up on another place?" Weiss says while waving a hand over herself. "We still need to pay for the dress, remember?"

"Don't start again!" Yang snarls at her.

"We'll solve one problem at a time, ok?" I say in hopes to avoid another fight.

After nods of agreement, all three of us leave the store and head up the street to one of the other boutiques, but we turn on our heels once we remember that everything is reversed around. The outside is even more strange, I notice; the sky is devoid of any clouds, but it was still completely silver in color. The unnatural light was also present, but instead of coming from everywhere, it seemed to come from a single point on the horizon.

We get on the store that was going through inventory and look inside, luckily for us each of the stalls have wall-mounted mirrors, but none of them seem to be a way out.

"This is just great!" Weiss complains again. "We could be at this for _hours_!"

"We gotta keep trying, princess." Yang replies back. "There's gotta be one that works."

"Could you stop calling me that?" Weiss says raising her voice. This headache isn't helping me putting up with her, but I still wasn't gonna lash out.

"Guys, please. We just have to be patient, we'll figure this out." I say while rubbing one of my temples.

We all go back to the street and make our way to the next store. However, I stop when I start hearing something. Weiss and Yang must have heard it too, since we all stopped dead on our tracks.

"Do you hear that?" Yang asks. "It sounds like footsteps." Indeed, it sounded like somebody is running, and the sound is getting louder and louder.

"Where is it coming from?" Weiss asks, becoming more nervous as the seconds go by.

"I think it comes from there." I say as I point to the corner of a crossway. As if on cue, a figure comes around that corner, startling all three of us. It was a young man, wearing a sea green t-shirt, an equally green wrist-band on his right arm and jeans with a pair of short swords sheathed around his belt; he had short black hair with a single pink lock of hair on his left bangs, and pink eyes.

I've seen this guy before.

He skidded to a stop and just stared at us, as if he was just as surprised for having found us as we were for finding him. He then frowned and spoke up in a firm but soft voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Wait, aren't you that guy from the school?" Yang asked back, taking a step forward. "Lie Ren, was it?"

"That's not important right now!" He exclaimed, barely raising his voice, but sounding very alarmed. "How did you get here?" He asked, taking a glance to one side.

"We don't know! We're trying to get out of here!" Weiss cried to him.

Ren looked back at us and started walking down the street, urging us to follow him. "Ok, tell me where did you arrive?"

"On the changing room of Adel's," I tell him, "but it's no use, we can't go through that mirror."

"Did you all tried, or only one?" He asked stopping and looking at me in the eye.

"Um… no."

He sighs. "Listen, one of you was able to open the doorway, which in turn let the other two go through it as well. We need to figure out who was it and then you need to leave, quickly." He says as he heads over to Adel's while we follow suit.

"How do you know all of this?" Yang asks. "How did you arrive in here?"

"I'll explain later." He simply responds. "You need to get out of here first." He states as we enter the boutique. There, we walk behind him as he cautiously moved towards the changing room entrance. I start feeling a rock forming on my tummy; this guy Ren has been acting really strange, and that he had those swords and was so worried that we got out of this place… It made me feel that something bad was about to happen.

I hate being right sometimes.

Some of the lights on the ceiling flicker out and the sound of metal twisting is heard from the left of the store. Ren quickly turns and pushes all three of us away as a metal rack charged with clothes crashes against him and into another rack. I sit up and look to my left, and I hardly believe what I'm looking at. On the spot where the rack was standing was now a Rhinoceros Beetle the size of a Doberman; it's carapace was a vivid red with golden lining, a small crown was placed over the beetle's head and on the tip of its horn was a violet mask, with no mouth-cover and five long spikes pronged from it's top. I barely processed Weiss' scream or Yang urging me to get up as the red bug stared at me with those round, green eyes and started crawling towards me.

It was when a short sword impaled itself on the creature's left eye that I recovered my senses. Ren had gotten up with barely any bruises and stabbed his other sword on one of the unions of the shell and retrieved the other one from the eye. All the while, the monstrous beetle trashed and hissed, trying to drive back the young man's assault.

"Quick, go to the mirror! Get out of here!" He ordered as he fenced against the beetle. We walked around the two of them and made a beeline to the dressing room. Once inside, Yang goes towards the mirror and pressed her hands on its surface, much like Weiss did, and with the same result.

"Ruby, quick!" Yang said beckoning me to approach the mirror. I did just that, and gingerly neared my hand to touch the reflective crystal. Once I touched it though, it gave away, as if it was a thin layer of ice that covered a pond. I was able to stick my whole hand in. Yang and I were so stunned that we didn't noticed when Weiss came charging at us, pushing Yang away and going through the mirror with ease.

"OH! That does it, I'm gonna kill that little bi~!"

The sound of a explosion and a pained scream came from the rest of the store, cutting Yang off. I look back at the door and then back at her. "We have to do something!"

"Ruby, there's nothing that we can do! We gotta go back!" Yang exclaimed, but I wasn't listening. I took my hand from the mirror and rushed back to the store. I heard my sister screaming behind me. "Ruby!"

When I get outside, I see Ren laying in the ground by one of the walls and some of the white clothes burning up around him. The beetle was crawling towards the unconscious body, mandibles moving with eagerness. I act quickly: I grab one of the wrecked racks and brandish the shaft like a spear, then run towards the monster, training the sharp end of the shaft to its shell unions and rammed right on it.

"BANZAAAAAAI!"

The shaft inserted itself with an audible squish, but the giant insect wasn't down yet. It trashed and made me lose my grip on the shaft, before turning towards me and preparing to run me down.

I'm pushed to the side and land on the floor. I see the beetle ramming Yang with all of its weight, sending her sliding through the floor until she landed on a heap of clothes. The eyes on the mask glowed red and a fire lighted up on the top of the heap. I watch in horror as time slows down and the fire starts spreading, moving to consume all the clothes, and Yang with them. I should have left when she told me to, or at least let her leave too. Now I was gonna lose her, and it was gonna be my fault.

I had to do something.

 _ ***BA-DUM***_

I feel the pain in my head once again, this time bigger, sharper. It felt like my skull was going to crack open. It started focusing on the center of my forehead, at the same time I heard a voice on my head, something that sounded between a growl and a normal person talking.

 _I am thou. Thou art I._

I climb back to my feet, as if moved by some renewed strength.

 _The time has come._

I stand up and stare blankly at the inferno that threatened to take my sister away.

 _Open thy gate._

I couldn't move, yet I wasn't scared. It was like I was taken by something other than myself, yet similar.

 _Let my strength become thy power!_

I speak a word I've never heard before in my life.

"Per… so… na."

A rush of wind surrounds my body and quickly spreads towards the rest of the store. Every flame that burned flinched at the shockwave and finally died, leaving Yang safe from any fire, while the beetle was thrown onto it's back. I then feel a surge of electricity leaving my body in the form of a blue silhouette of it. I watch as the naked copy of myself breaks apart in many crystal shards before rearranging themselves in another form.

It was a thin humanoid creature at least three times my own size, with sharp claws extending from it's hands, beast-like feet and a wolf-like head shaped like a wedge. Its body looked like it was covered in black armor on it's chest, arms, legs and head, revealing a reddish grey fur around its abdomen, hands and paws. It had a red ribbon tied around its mouth, keeping it from opening a jagged maw completely, but allowing it a little. The ribbon ran down its torso and into each arm, where it edged past both appendages and went backwards as they turned into sharp blades. It's eyes flickered to life with a silver light and it reached back to let out a howl. I hear his voice speaking on my head again.

 _I am Fenrir, the boundless. Show me thy foes, and I shall rip them apart._

The beetle climbed back to it's feet and hissed at me as the eyes of its mask glowed red again. Fire blasts on Fenrir's chest, and I stagger back a few feets, feeling the heat of the flames, but otherwise unharmed. I glare down at the bug, willing Fenrir into attacking it. He then rushed forward and slashed at its shell with claws and blades, chipping away at its armored back and exposing its soft body. Fenrir snarled at it as his eyes glowed with a green light, a vortex of green wind forming around the beetle, which cried in pain as the mini-tornado relentlessly tore it to shreds, that then dissolved in black and red smoke.

Fenrir gave a victorious growl as his body became translucent blue and broke apart once again, the shards drifting to my right hand and turned into a red band with a silver, reflective token around my wrist. I feel the same pressure in my head before it finally faded away.

I then look towards Yang and rushed toward her as she started regaining consciousness. "Did you write that number?" She joked before bolting up with a start. "Ruby! Are you okay?!"

I give her a hug after seeing she was okay. "Yang, I'm so sorry! I should have listened to you!" I feel her patting my back as I just almost-cried on her shoulder. She pushes me back and looks at me.

"Hey, it's okay. I've had worse than that." She reassured me looking me over. "But are you okay? What happened to that… thing?"

As I'm about to try to answer, we hear a pained grunt from the side of the store. Ren was back on his feet and was limping toward us, covered in soot. "The Shadow was killed." He simply said before pointing at me. "You killed it using your Persona."

Yang and I stood up from the floor and went to the meeting with Ren. Yang spoke up first. "What does that mean? You know what is going on, don't you?" She asks a little harsher than what I would have liked.

Ren simply raised a hand to silence her. "Listen, we can sit here and play twenty questions or do it back in the real world." He says calmly. "Right now, you should go back from where you came. I can answer all your questions at the food court tomorrow." He then walked as if to leave the store.

"Wait, why don't you leave with us?"

He turns back to answer. "A person can only leave through the same entry point. Mine is nearby. I'll be okay." And with that he left the store. Yang and I then go back to the changing room and finally leave this bizarre place.

 **Saturday, April 8th/ Afternoon.**

Once we're back to the real world, we look for Weiss to see if she was okay -or I wanted to see if she was okay, at least- but we learn that she left already and had paid for the dress. "Well, one problem solved itself." Yang comments with resentment.

It is getting late and I feel exhausted. We go back to the bus stop and head back to our home.

 **Saturday, April 8th/ Evening.**

We arrive home to the sight of four pizza boxes arranged on the living room table and dad surfing through the tv before he noticed us. "Welcome back! I hope you're hungry." He says cheerfully.

My stomach gives my answer for me in a very loud way, after which we all just laugh. We all sit around the table and eat around eight slices of pizza while watching a football game. Apparently, we're fans of the Atlas' Paladins.

After finishing our dinner and picking up after everything, I head upstairs and take a long and nice bath. Today's events are still running through my mind. The world behind the mirror, that strange monster, "Persona". I look at the wrist-band still on my hand and feel the faint presence of Fenrir inside my mind. I didn't take it off because the idea putting it away felt kinda wrong, not to mention that it seemed like water wouldn't damage it, so I resolved on keeping it on. I get out of the bathtub and dry myself before putting my pajamas on and heading to bed. I simply turn off the lights and poke my mom's portrait, barely having energy to mutter a "goodnight".

It doesn't take long before I fall asleep.

* * *

 _The strength of the heart to face one's fears has been made manifest. Ruby Rose has earned the facade to face life's hardships. The Persona Fenrir._

* * *

Arcana Analysis:

 **Fenrir (Fool)** :  
Resists: Fire, Strike.  
Blocks: Wind.  
Weak: Ice.  
Skills: Garu, Cleave, Sukukaja.

 **Burning Beetle (Emperor)** :  
Agi, Bash.


	6. Su, 4-9

**Su, 4/9**

 **Sunday, April 9th/ Morning.**

I wake up feeling rested, the tiredness I felt yesterday's evening having left, but the memories still fresh in the front of my mind. I look at my wrist to find the red band with the silver token still on it. It wasn't a dream, I think to myself as I recall everything that happened yesterday.

I also recall that Ren invited us to the food court back in town before he left. This time I couldn't help to feel curious; I want to learn more about this. I was right in the middle of something I cannot understand, and now there was a safe way to learn more about this "mirror world". Yesterday I wanted to find more about that world on my own, but I was reckless in trying to investigate, unaware of the danger, and that almost caused Yang to...

I push that thought aside. Right now, I needed to think about talking with Ren. I hope he made it out okay.

I get off from my bed when my tummy complains of the lack of breakfast. I head downstairs and to the kitchen. There are still some slices of pizza from yesterday, so I microwave a pair for myself. When the pizza is ready, Yang comes to the kitchen and grabs another slice of pizza from the fridge. She doesn't reheat it.

"Did you sleep well last night?" I ask her.

"Yeah... " she answers half asleep as she stretches her right arm. "I'm feeling better, but still a little sore. Nothing I can't handle though."

I grimace as I remember how Yang pushed me away and took the hit from that Shadow-thing. That shouldn't have ever happened. "I am sorry that you got hurt. If we had just left when we had the chance…"

"Hey, don't beat yourself over it. If you hadn't went back, Ren would've been the one that bites it. You saved him, both of us." I want to reply back, but Yang just continues talking. "Which reminds me, I texted a few friends, and I got Ren's cell number; I texted him earlier: He's okay, and wants to meet us at three and thirty at town."

I nod at her. "We need to come up with something to leave though. Don't we need to shop for some groceries?" I ask. "We can meet with Ren in the food court and then go to the grocery store."

"Yeah, that's not a bad plan." Yang says as she finishes her slice before taking a mischievous smirk. "Maybe you can help me convince dad of stop eating junk food, he's gaining a few pounds, y'know?."

"Heard ya." Says dad while walking into the kitchen. I start feeling nervous. How much did he hear? I ask myself. "Trying to make your sister side against me. The nerve." He jokes around before opening the fridge and preparing himself another slice, but does a double-take as he looked at the fridge contents. "But we _are_ short on some stuff. I'll make a list after lunch." He says closing the fridge and taking a bite of his pizza. What's up with this house and heating pizza?

Once I'm certain that he hadn't heard about us meeting with Ren and what happened yesterday, I quickly move the conversation further forward. "I don't know with whom to side with, though. I also love junk food, but it's true we haven't eaten healthy even once…"

At that, dad lets out a chuckle. "So we're at a stalemate again sunshine." He says as he squeezes Yang's bad shoulder, and I see her holding back a cringe of pain. "I'll tell you what, let's start eating more balanced on weekdays, but weekends are 'no-diet day'. Sounds good?"

Yang sighs. "Well, it's a start…" when dad heads back to the living room after finishing his pizza, she says to me in a whisper. "... and a win for me."

There's still some time for midday, so I get cleaned and dressed for the day, then head back to my room to finish the written assignment and submit it before I come downstairs for lunch. It's almost three o'clock when we're done, so Yang and I leave home early, claiming we're just gonna hang out with each other.

 **Sunday, April 9th/ Daytime.**

We arrive to the food court and go to this soda bar. I order our drinks and a cup of water while Yang texts Ren with our location, then take seats on one table on the corner of the local. About three and twenty nine, we see Ren entering the bar and making a beeline towards us. I offer him the cup of water. "I don't know what you like, but I figured it wouldn't have been very nice to not to offer you something."

"Water is fine. Thanks." He says as he sits on the table and takes a swig from his cup. I notice he's still wearing that green wristband on his hand, and other than it's color it looks exactly like mine. After that, there's an awkward silence that seems to last an eternity before Yang speaks up.

"So…?"

"Hmm?" Ren mutters as he looks at Yang and then at me. "Oh, sorry. I was waiting for you to ask your question."

Feeling another silence coming, I decide to start this up. "Are you okay? You didn't have trouble getting out of there, did you?"

"Yes. My entry point was nearby, and no strong Shadows attacked me." He answers.

"What was that bug?" Yang asks next, sounding a little less than anxious. "I have seen big beetles, but nothing like that before."

Ren turns to Yang before answering. "It was a Shadow. Shadows are made up of negative emotions, and are extremely dangerous."

"What do you mean by 'negative emotions'? Wasn't it just a very large insect?" Yang inquires again, sounding even more upset.

"I am sorry, Ren. We're a little anxious, is all." I interject. "I mean, it's not everyday that someone finds a strange world and sees giant monsters fighting with wind and fire." Ren turns to stare at me, with a certain expression on his eyes, as if wanting me to continue. "I… I want to learn what is going on."

Ren on his part remains calm and stares at his cup, before sighing. "I guess I should be more thorough with this…" He pauses for a moment before speaking again. "Very well, I'll tell you what I have figured out:

"I stumbled upon the Reflection back in December by accident. Nothing grave happened that time, so I kept exploring until I was attacked by a Shadow. I thought I would die then and there, until I awoke to my Persona. Yoshitsune killed the Shadow, and I escaped back to the real world. The next day, I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I went back better prepared. I explored Reflection whenever I could, and I managed to defend myself from Shadows. I became familiar with the Reflection's layout just as much as I am familiar with the city.

"One day, though, I saw something different inside. There was a kind of 'crack' on the air, just floating in the middle of the street in front of the flower store." Yang seems to tense up a little before Ren continued. "I couldn't get close to it, since a Shadow made it's way through the crack and disappeared. After a minute or so, another crack opened inside the flower store, and two Shadows came out, then more started 'sprouting' near the area…" Ren hesitates before falling silent once again.

I hear Yang swallowing hard, licking her lips before talking. "When did that happen?"

"January third." He answers.

Yang gasps before speaking. "Tha- that's the day when it first happened… The first Act of Violence… it was in the flower store." She mutters, her voice filled with dread.

I turn back to Ren, my mind putting two and two together. "Wait, are you saying that all these murders are caused by Shadows? The attacks, the amnesia, everything?" I feel a chill creeping up my spine, which got worse when the Ren nodded his head.

"The timing is too perfect for it to be a coincidence. And I've already confirmed it, on February tenth, there was an attack on an alleyway on the eastern part of town. I scouted the same area on the Reflection and it was brimming with Shadows, just like the other time."

Yang leans forward, hands clenched in fists. "But why are they doing it?"

"I learned the answer to that almost immediately the third time it happened." Ren quickly adds. "Shadows are made of primitive, raw negative emotions. Fear, mainly. They act like animals, so all they do is eat and reproduce. I figured, that when a Shadow leaves the Reflection into the real world, it possesses a person and takes control of their body. Then, it forces the host to attack another human. Afterwards, the Shadow returns to the Reflection along with a second Shadow.

"I don't know from where the second Shadow comes from exactly, but the commotion and fear caused in the real world after the murder is what causes the other Shadows to sprout from the ground. So I came to the conclusion that Shadows commit the Acts of Violence to cause a response of fear in people, triggering the birth of more Shadows."

I'm having a hard time processing this. Turns out, I did learn more about the murders that have been going on, though the risk of getting into trouble was the least of the problems now. There were actual monsters taking control of people and making them kill another person, all because of a compulsion to do so. There was no pattern, no motives; just a whim.

"So, everything that the police has been doing was for nothing, huh?" Yang asks. "All those arrests? Those people are innocent dammit!"

"You are right." Ren speaks up again. "The Police have been on the wrong trail all these months. Unfortunately, there is no actual evidence that could prove anyone's innocence."

"But what about the mirrors?" I suggest. "Can't you or I show someone how we cross through it and take them to see it by themselves?"

Unfortunately, Ren shakes his head. "That wouldn't work for many reasons: First, as I told you, only framed mirrors can be used as a doorway; Getting the chance of someone with authority to see the doorway functioning would be a challenge in and of itself.

"Second, and this is something your sister should know," he says as he addresses Yang, "is that only a few people can cross through the doorway, people with the Potential. But only an individual with a Persona can cross it without help.

"So even if I manage to get an authority to see me cross, that still wouldn't be enough prove its connection with the murders, and much less be able to direct measures against it."

I wanted to ask something else, but Yang beat me to it. "Wait, you're saying that I have the same Power as you and Ruby? This… 'Persona' thing?"

Ren took another swig from his cup before answering. "I can't tell. The fact that you and the Schnee girl crossed with the help of your sister suggests that the both of you could have the same Power. But whether you can summon a Persona or not is unknown."

While he explained this to Yang, I notice a faint expression on his face, and a bitter tone on his voice. I don't know why it stood out to me, nor did I know why I asked him this. "How do you know why some people can cross and others not?"

He freezes for a second, before slowly sipping his water and putting the cup down. "That is something I don't want to talk about." He calmly says.

"I'm sorry." I say softly.

There's another long silence, not awkward, but solemn. I was taken aback when he spoke again. "However, there's one thing that can be done.

"After I learned the connection between the Reflection and the Acts of Violence, I knew I had to do something about this. I had Yoshitsune with me, I've had explored that world many times, and observed the Shadows for long enough. I began hunting them down, trying to exterminate all of them, so that nothing can cross to this world. Put a stop to this. I've been going back there almost daily to kill all the Shadows that I can.

"But I'm just one person, and having a Persona doesn't makes you unstoppable. Yesterday was a close call, and the murder of wednesday only brought birth to more Shadows. I can no longer do this alone. But now, there's someone else with the same Power that I have." He says before looking at me.

I start feeling a little nervous at what he's proposing. "Me? You want me to help you kill Shadows?" I ask, hardly believing it. Going by Ren's expression, it seemed like he didn't believe it either.

"Yes, you are the only other person I know that can summon a Persona, and yours is quite strong."

"Whoa there, buddy." Yang quips up. "Do you realize what you are asking her to do?"

"Of course I do. Going into the Reflection is a dangerous business, and confronting a Shadow is no easy task. Having a Persona gives you an advantage, but sometimes the risk of death is very high." He turns back to me. "But you won't be alone in there; I can offer you assistance until you learn the ropes and I can join you in battle. I have more knowledge about Shadows, but you have more raw strength with your Persona.

"I'm asking you, please help me put a stop to this. If we don't, the murders will just keep coming."

Yang seemed ready to give Ren a retort, but I spoke first. "But, how do you know it won't be for naught? You said that a lot Shadows are born with each murder. How can we stop this if we can't prevent Shadows from appearing?"

"Yeah, for what it looks like, what you're suggesting is harder than trying to put toothpaste back on its tube." Yang comments.

"That is something I've been wondering too." Ren says with a sigh. "Truth is, that after wednesday, more Shadows have appeared, so I began investigating everything I could learn about the Reflection, see if there's something that could tell me how it works, find a way of locking it down for good."

"Maybe, or maybe it's a wild goose chase!" Yang adds, raising her voice. "You are risking your life for something you aren't even sure you can find."

Ren frowns for the first time in our meeting, and locks eyes with Yang while he spoke as calmly as ever. "I need to do something. If it turns out I can't do crap to prevent any of this, then I'll know that I at least tried." He says before finishing his water. "I can not let fear control my decisions. I have to do something if I am able to do so, but then again, I can no longer do it alone."

As Ren fell silent, his last sentence echoed in my head. _Not letting fear control my decisions_. That's what I've been doing, ever since I heard about what was going on in here. I was afraid that if I wasn't careful, something bad could happen. And yesterday something bad almost happens, Yang almost died. I wanted to learn more about the mirror world, the Reflection, and I dragged Yang and Weiss with me, without thinking of how dangerous it might be. I was reckless when I tried to fight that thing, and Yang took a hit for me, and she was about to die.

But that didn't happen. I stopped the flames from reaching her, and I killed that Shadow. Fenrir did. He helped me. I used this Power to save Yang, why couldn't I use it to save other people?

"I'll do it."

"What?" Yang asks.

"Ren is right, Yang. I can't just sit here and cross my arms, not after what happened yesterday." I look at my lap. "You almost died, and people are dying each month, and for no reason. If there's a chance to stop this, I wouldn't forgive myself for not trying."

I look up to her and then to Ren. "I'm still scared shitless, but that won't stop me anymore." I give a glance at my wristband, sensing Fenrir inside of me, giving me courage. "You can count on me, Ren."

I suddenly feel time stopping around me. Yang and Ren are frozen in mid-reaction, and I can't move a muscle. A figure appears in my field of sight, between all three of us. It is a card, depicting a man with a stick walking towards a cliff with a dog biting his ankles. A voice sounds inside of my head.

 **I am Thou, Thou art I  
** **Thou hast established a new bond**

 **It brings thee closer to the Truth**

 **Thou shalt be blessed  
** **When creating Personas of the** **Fool Arcana** **.**

Time starts flowing again and the image of the Fool disappears. Nothing else seemed to be out of place, but that was something strange.

"Ruby…" Yang calls softly from my left. "Are you sure about this?"

I drink a bit of my drink to drown the nerves, then regret it after I realize that the ice had melted in the cup. "Yes, I can't ignore this. I want to put a stop to all the deaths."

I hear Yang sighing loudly. I couldn't make myself look at her. "I guess there's no arguing against that then." She says, dejection evident in her voice.

"Yang, I am sorry…" I start to say, but a hand falls on my shoulder. I look at Yang, who is smiling broadly.

"Hey, it's okay. It was your decision anyway, I shouldn't have tried to pull you out of the loop. I'm the one who is sorry…"

I smile at her.

"... Aaaaaaaaand I'll be coming with you guys."

Aaaaaand the smile is gone.

"Yang! You cannot go back there, you barely made it in one piece!" I start pleading to her, while trying struggling to not draw attention toward us. "I don't want to be rude, but I can't be protecting you all the time if you come along!"

"So? I got careless that one time, and Yang Xiao Long learns from her mistakes." She says confidently. "Besides, Ren said I could have the same Power too, right?"

"It is a possibility, but I wouldn't guarantee it." Ren answers, without any sign of freaking out unlike myself.

"See?"

"Yes, there are no guarantees that you'd be able to fight too!"

"Ruby, you can say everything you want, but you won't get rid of me that easily." She says adopting a more apologetic smile.

I don't like this one bit, but Yang is giving me no choice. I agree with her tagging along, then Ren suggest to exchange contact information in order to better organize our efforts. Ren then excuses himself before we head to the grocery store to get the items on dad's list, plus some vegetables and healthy stuff for the week, before heading back home.

 **Sunday, April 9th/ Evening.**

When we arrive home, dad is busy on his office, so Yang and I start working on the dinner. I notice the wheat tortillas Yang bought and suggest making some tuna salad and put together some fajitas. Yang likes the idea and starts opening a can while I cut the veggies.

The fajitas turn out great, and we enjoy dinner over small talk. After cleaning up, we huddle up on the living room with Yang and dad watching the TV while I read some of the chapters I have left. around nine I head up to my room and get my things ready for tomorrow. After I climb to bed, I repeat my little ritual: poke my mom's photograph, give her goodnight, and turn off the light.

Before falling asleep though, a thought occurs to me. I pull my right hand from beneath the covers and stare at the red, rubbery band strapped around my wrist. I hesitate for a second before speaking again.

"Goodnight Fenrir."

 **Sunday, April 9th/ ?.**

This place…

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

I'm inside the train car covered blue velvet again. Am I dreaming? Why am I in this place again?

Igor is sitting across from me and Victor is standing beside him. The old man still has that crooked, odd smile on his face, as if he's finding amusement in my surprise. "Don't be scared, you are asleep in the real world once again.

"Do you remember what we discussed last time you were here?" Igor asks, leaning closer on his seat as he slides the card of the Fool on the table. I nod. "'In the coming year, you'll find yourself in quite a journey, filled with infinite possibilities!' Those were my exact words, and it seems that I was correct in my assumptions, since you have taken the first step in this journey.

"Where this adventure may lead depends only on how far you can get. But remember, that traveling alone can only get you this far, and you'll inevitably need to rely on others. If you are fortunate, you'll meet other with whom you can create bonds with on the road ahead. These bonds -or links, if you like- will strengthen the power of your heart and prepare you face the hardships ahead."

My mind goes back to the meeting I had today, and what happened when I accepted joining Ren on the Reflection's expeditions. "Something happened today, I saw the Fool and…"

"That is correct," Igor interjected, catching what I was saying, "that was the manifestation of your heart connecting with others. I won't bother you with the details for now, but you should not let these Social Links unattended, for they would offer you little support on your journey if you don't nurture them."

The card lifts from the table and floats back toward Igor's hand. "I also mentioned that this card suits you well; the Fool is also known to represent limitless potential. That you had drawn this card days before you awoke to your Persona is most interesting, in my opinion. Maybe that is the reason you were destined to come to this Velvet Room.

"When facing the trials on your journey, you might feel the seed of possibility inside of you. When you feel that happens, don't hesitate reach out to it. You'd do well in taking this advice to heart, as well as this." He turns to look at Victor, who immediately walks towards me and hands me a small object: a steel blue key with a mask shaped bow.

"The next time you visit this place, it'll be on your own free will. Until then, I think you deserve a rest.

"Farewell."

* * *

 _Ruby Rose has forged the_ _Hunting Squad_ _Social Link of the_ _Fool Arcana_.

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 1 ( **Initiated!** )

* * *

 **Author's Note** :

Listen up people, I have an announcement to make.

This chapter marks the end of the daily updates. Sadly I am not that fast of a writer, so I hardly think I'll be able to write chapter 7 for tomorrow morning. My guess is that I could get one chapter done a week if I dedicated myself to a schedule; the problem with that is that I'm very, _very_ lazy, so I can't promise fast updates. I hope you can all be patient with me, and thanks for everybody who has stuck around so far.

Now, if you excuse me, I'm gonna go clear Yukiko's Castle.


	7. Mo, 4-10

**Mo, 4/10**

 **Monday, April 10th/ Morning.**

Classes start once again at the usual time today, so it becomes easier for me to get accustomed to the school's program at this point, to which it occurs to me that having classes start earlier on fridays sticks out like a sore thumb. Today is starting to get really warm, so everybody is going to school with the summer uniform. I go with my hoodie tied around my waist. I got to the classroom early, going through some of my notes to keep my mind busy, but to no avail. I keep thinking about what happened in the weekend.

It feels so strange, having to go to school with the knowledge of a parallel dimension existing right on this city, and knowing that I have an amazing power when in that dangerous world. I look up from my notes and see everybody in the classroom, unaware of the existence of the Reflection and its relation with the recent incidents. I laugh ruefully to myself, thinking that just two days ago I was just as unaware as any of them.

I aim my gaze on Jaune's desk and see the blonde boy holding his head with both hands. He looks terrible and is constantly snoozing off. "Hey, are you okay?"

He sits up straight and stifles a yawn. "Y-yeah. Had a rough night is all." He doesn't sounds too convincing, though, as he is still staring at his desk. I make note of that for later, since Ms. Goodwitch had just arrived to the classroom. Everybody in the room quickly moved to sit on their seats and more students entered the classroom. Once everybody is seated, she calls everyone to attention.

"Listen class. I'm pleased to see that every one of you managed to send your assignments before the time limit, even if a few of you submitted it scarce seconds before that." There are some uncomfortable rustles and curious comments among the room. "I'll give you your grades later today, along with the instructions for the next assignment." After a few groans, Ms. Goodwitch calls everybody's attention once again. "Also, I should remind all of you about the Research Report for the middle of the school-year." As if anticipating more complains, the teacher raised a hand to silence the students. "After giving it some thought, I've decided to make this report a pair assignment, so that way you can share the effort with your partner.

"I will not tolerate slackers, so I suggest you to be involved in all aspects of the research. Understood?" After an unison "yes", Ms. Goodwitch gave a satisfied nod. "Very well. With that out of the way, let's start with today's lesson."

Ms. Goodwitch's class goes at a fast pace for the rest of the day, making it hard to keep up.

Through the whole day, I can't shake off the feeling that something is missing.

 **Monday, April 10th/ After School.**

"That'll be everything for today. Please check the e-mail with your grades later today, but send any reply you might have at a reasonable hour. You're dismissed."

Everybody starts picking up their stuff and walking out of the classroom. I get up and walk up to Jaune, who is gathering his books with little to no enthusiasm. "Hey Jaune, wanna hang out?"

"Hmm?" He perks up a bit and then shrugs. "Sure, why not?"

I send a text to Yang before the two of us walk out of the school and then make our way to the food court in town. I buy a strawberry smoothie in the juice-bar while Jaune gets a plain soda and sit on one of the tables on the outside. He's still looking kinda off, so I decide to try and start a conversation. "So… How was your weekend?" I offer.

He looks me over before answering. "It was… kinda busy." He paused, but I allowed him to continue. "My sisters dragged me around town most of the weekend. They had this party that they were invited to, so they went to a shopping spree and used me as their personal butler. Sounds exciting, right?"

"I… wouldn't agree, actually." I tell him, remembering the failure that was last saturday.

"Heh, guess that's a plus of being friends with you." He joked lightheartedly, and I laugh with him before he sighs again. "Basically, they ate away my whole time during the weekend before yesterday in the evening. I had to pull a full-nighter to finish this week's assignment."

I put a hand on his shoulder and give it a light squeeze. "I'm sorry Jaune, that must've been rough."

"Yeah. I'm sure that I flunked it, even if Goodwitch can make sense of my panicky typing." he sighs again. "What about you? I guess it was child's play for you."

I ponder for a second. "Well, it was difficult. I also had a busy weekend, but I think I managed."

Jaune lets out a snort. "That's reassuring." He then starts staring at the street. "I mean, I barely made it out to first year, and things are getting even more difficult. I'm not sure if I'm made for this."

"C'mon, Jaune. Don't be too hard on yourself." I offer him. "It is only the first year, you still have plenty of time to get up to speed."

"No offense, Ruby, but isn't it easy to say that when you're such a genius?"

"Hey! I'm not a genius." I answer back. "I just manage to the take time to understand stuff better."

Jaune takes a big gulp from his soda before continuing. "I guess you're right; I mean, if you were an actual genius, you'd be way ahead on college." He jokes. "Still, it seems that you and I are two ends of a stick." He says before bowing his head low. It was kinda pathetic, seeing him wallow in self-pity.

Well, I have to do something about it.

"What if I helped you?" I ask to him.

He's caught off guard by the question, but immediately perks up all the same. "Re-really?"

"Yeah! I mean, I know how to manage my study time and you need help manage yours. It makes sense." I tell him matter of factly, but then an idea occurs to me. "Aaaand, I still need a partner for the research report. Would you like to be my partner?"

"Seriously? Of course!" He beams before frowning one last time. "But, are you sure I'm your best choice for a partner?"

"Jaune, trust me, I know that with the right schedule, you'll be just as good of a student as anyone." I say. I see him relaxing a bit, as if some weight was lifted from his shoulders, and smiles at me again.

"Gee, thanks Ruby. It's reassuring to know that I can count on you, you know?"

 **I am Thou, Thou art I**  
 **Thou hast established a new bond**

 **It brings thee closer to the Truth**

 **Thou shalt be blessed**  
 **When creating Personas of the Magician Arcana.**

"B-but of course, you can also count on me, Ruby." Jaune quickly adds.

"I know I can." I tell him back.

We linger for a while before getting up and going each on our own way. I text dad that I'm on my way back and hop onto the bus.

 **Monday, April 10th/ Evening.**

After returning home, I check my mail and find Ms. Goodwitch's message. It has a spreadsheet attached to it, so I open the sheet and look for my name in the list. I got a twenty out of twenty! I also check Jaune's grade and he didn't do that bad: a fourteen.

I suddenly remembered, that Weiss wasn't in the classroom today! That was what was missing. I can't help but wonder why she skipped class today.

Out of curiosity, I look at Weiss' grade and see that she also got a twenty.

She's the only other student with a perfect score besides me.

I close my mail and go downstairs to watch some TV with Yang while dad reads the newspaper. We have dinner early and make small talk about our days. I comment about Jaune and I pairing up for the research and that I'd be having study sessions with him.

"That sounds fine, sweetie." Dad comments, while he mulls over his dinner. We're having lettuce salad and steak. "If you want, you can invite this kid Jaune here to study... here... in the living room."

I roll my eyes. "Don't worry dad, he's just a friend."

"I know, I know." He says as he takes another bite of his salad.

"By the way, Ruby. The Sport Clubs are opening up for new students tomorrow." Yang comments all of the sudden. "You could join one of the teams if you're interested. MOS has a lot of them, ranging from sports to athleticism, I'm sure you'll find one of your liking."

I ponder over the offer. I used to practice track racing back in Patch, and I certainly could use the exercise. "I'll check them out tomorrow, then."

"Cool."

After dinner, I help cleaning up before going upstairs to wash myself. I then go to my room and get some of my assigned readings done before plopping down on bed.

"Goodnight mommy. Goodnight Fenrir."

* * *

 _Ruby Rose has forged the Jaune Arc Social Link of the Magician Arcana_.

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 1.  
01\. The Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 1 ( **Initiated!** )


	8. Tu, 4-11

**Tu, 4/11**

 **Tuesday, April 11th/ Morning.**

The sport clubs are starting tryouts for the new students today. Only athletic teams are holding tryouts, including the track team.

After waking up and having a big breakfast, I go back to my room and pack my PE Uniform -a white shirt and baggy shorts- in my backpack. I'm not sure if I'll be doing that much exercise today, but better be safe than sorry.

Yang and I arrive early to MOS, so we hang around for a while before the bell rings. Today's tryouts seem to be the only topic of discussion at the moment, be it either what team should people join or about the upcoming football season. Track team is starting its tryouts after class and I already signed up for today's tryouts, so I'm no longer concerned at the moment.

Today's lessons are set to a slow pace. Weiss is here today and is acting indifferent to me, even more than usual.

 **Tuesday, April 11th/ After School.**

After the lessons are over I go to the side of the gym to the changing room and swap between uniforms before heading to the Track Course, located behind the school building. There are already some sophomore male students running drills on the track while the girls were chatting on the side of the track and watching the boys training. Some freshmen are mingling on the stands, so I join them and wait until we're told when to start.

The coach eventually arrives to the field. He was a rather robust man, wearing a grey workout suit, and sported a bushy, grey mustache and equally grey hair. He held a clipboard on his hands as he watched the guys finishing their drill. Then he brought his whistle to his mouth and let out a shrill noise. Then he began. "Good job team, I'm pleased to see that all of you are still in perfect shape.

"Now, instead of continuing with our regular schedule, we'll start the tryouts for our new members." He said while glancing at his clipboard and at the stands where I and the other freshmen were sitting. "I believe that everybody that signed up has arrived. So let us begin." He finished with another loud whistle. All male newcomers took a place in the line and took off at Coach's signal.

I watched as the guys raced through the track, some trying to race each other, except for one boy with blonde, messy hair. He arrived last, but they all did a good time, if Coach's commentary was anything to go by. Next were the girls, which besides me there were only two other girls applying for the team. After starting, I save some of my energy through the first three hundred meters and sprint at the last section, but I still cross the finish line in last place.

"Excellent work, ladies." Coach announced before turning to everybody. I'm slightly out of breath. "There are some details that need work, but all of your performances were satisfactory! Congratulations, everyone. You are on the team." Everybody gives a small cheer before Coach cleared his throat. "Now, practices are every tuesday and thursday, with saturday's being optional. First half of the practice are for the gentlemen to do their drills, and the second half is for the ladies. Men don't need to stay for the second half of practice, but they are welcome to do so. I also expect all of you to be punctual to practice and to behave in the best of your capacities.

"So! With that said, let's continue with today's practice. Newcomers, please join your teammates."

I sit on the stands while the guys have their training and make small talk with the other girls. When the guys finish, we take the track and run our drills. After finishing, I'm practically exhausted. I make my way to one of the seats to recover my breath when somebody offers me a bottle of water. I look up and see the blonde guy smiling at me.

"Hey, you did great back there." He offers.

"Thanks," I answer as I take the water and take a swig from it, "though I'm not really at the top of my game yet."

"Meh, there are worse thing, in my opinion. Besides, that's what practice is for, right?" He says before cleaning his hand on a towel he had. "By the way, I'm Sun."

"Ruby." I shake hands with him. "I also think you did well back there. You have a really good rhythm."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that I was the only dude that was just training. The rest were racing each other. Competing for who could get tired faster, am I right?" He joked, raising a hand for a high five, which I give him.

"Yeah, I thought it was weird too." I say to him while we walk to the cooler and he retrieves another water bottle. "I mean, it's only practice, if anything this should be fun."

"Finally, somebody who thinks the same!" He exclaims before drinking from the new bottle. "I think you and I will be great friends."

I laugh a little. "I'd like that a lot."

 **I am Thou, Thou art I**  
 **Thou hast established a new bond**

 **It brings thee closer to the Truth**

 **Thou shalt be blessed**  
 **When creating Personas of the Sun Arcana.**

"Yeah." We talk a little bit before Sun excused himself. "Well, I'll see you next practice then."

"Sure." And with that, he took off to the men's changing room. I head to the ladies' changing room and put on a workout jacket and pants before walking to the bus stop.

 **Tuesday, April 11th/ Evening.**

I head right to the shower after arriving home, after which I go to my room and get down with some readings when somebody knocks on my door.

"Ruby, are you busy?" It is Yang.

"Kinda, but come in." I say to her. She enters the room and sits on my bed.

"Hey, have you received any message from Ren?" She asks.

I realize that I had not received any other message from Ren during the week so far, and can't help but frown a little. "No, not at all." I ponder for a second before continuing. "Do you think I should text him?"

"I think you should… maybe… I don't know." She says with a shrug. Nevertheless, I pull out my phone and type a short text message.

 _RUBY: Hey, is everything okay?_

Soon after, I get his answer.

 _REN: Everything is fine. Checking some things. I'll contact you later this week._

"He'll contact us down the week." I tell Yang, at which she lets out a derisive snort.

"So he wants us to sit and wait? Why can't he tell us what is the plan?"

"Sis, I'm worried about this too. But Ren is the one who knows more about what is going on. I think we should trust him in what he's doing."

"Hmm… I guess you are right." She lingers for a little while before speaking again. "Whenever he calls you, let me know, okay?"

"O-okay." I say to her, a little hesitantly though. I watch her leave and wait a minute before pulling my phone again. I ponder another minute whether or not write another text to Ren, but decide not to for the time being.

Yang made potato salad with carrots for dinner tonight, with turkey sausages on the side. After dinner I help clean up before heading to bed.

* * *

 _Ruby Rose has forged the Athletic Teammate Social Link of the Sun Arcana_

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 1.  
01\. The Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 1.  
19\. The Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 1 ( **Initiated!** )

* * *

A/N: Two quick things:

First, thank you all so far for the amazing feedback I've gotten with this story. I'd never thought that this story would be getting this much support. I love reading all your comments on the review page and replying to them, so please keep them coming.

Second, this is something that I'd like to clarify, since the description is not clear enough. This story is set in an alternate version of Remnant, that isn't neither the world from RWBY nor is the same Earth as the one where the official Persona Games take place.

Also, regarding this particular Social Link: no pun intended. Those of you who know Persona and understand Tarot readings will understand why Sun is "The Sun".

Until next time! :D


	9. We, 4-12

**We, 4/12**

 **Wednesday, April 12th/ Morning.**

On the bus ride from home, Yang mentions that she'll be staying after classes again.

"A lot of people signed up to enter the Judo Team, but the gym building was having an unscheduled check-up, so we couldn't use it yesterday." She lets out a heavy sigh. "I'm probably staying there tomorrow too. There are a _lot_ of people trying out for the team and I'm not looking forward to this."

"Well, it couldn't be that bad." I offer.

"Most of the applicants are guys." She flatly says.

"And what's the matter with…" I notice the dread in Yang's voice and connect the dots. She's the captain of the team. the team uniform was most likely a GI. The image of Yang wearing a GI crosses my mind. "Oh…"

"Eeyup. Not looking forward to it. At all."

We arrive at MOS with only a few minutes more to spare, so we both head to our classrooms. Before I get there, Jaune catches up to me. "Hey Ruby! How's your morning?"

"It's been okay. How about you?"

"Meh, could be better." He comments offhandedly. "Look, I was reviewing the lists of topics for the research." Jaune says, producing a piece of paper from his pocket. "I wrote down a few that might be interesting to look up."

I grab the list and glance through it. To be honest, I haven't read the full list yet, but the topics that Jaune picked do seem interesting. "Wow Jaune, this is great. See how easy it is when you dedicate to it?"

"Yeah," he says as we enter the classroom and sit on our desks, "I kinda got excited and skimmed through the whole list yesterday. I figured I could help with that, right? You can keep the list, by the way."

I nod as I pocket the list in my bag. Soon after, Ms. Goodwitch enters the classroom and beckons _me_ to her desk. I stand up and walk to her. "Is there something wrong, professor?"

"Relax, Ms. Rose. It was simply a mistake I made. I forgot to tell you that this classroom shares room duty after classes. Yesterday was supposed to be your turn for room duty, but I forgot to inform you of that." She calmly says as she orders some of her papers. "However, today you'll be assisting Ms. Scarlatina on her turn. Then the duty program will return back to normal."

I nod once before returning to my seat. Classes resume at their normal pace.

 **Wednesday, April 12th/ After School.**

After class, I gather my stuff and slide my bag beneath my chair as everybody leaves the classroom. Only me and another girl remain in the room after everybody left. She was only slightly taller than I am, with long brown hair cascading down her back, with two short, dumb hairs sticking on top of her head, and deep brown eyes. She was wearing the summer uniform, with brown stockings covering her entire legs. She regarded me with a confused stare after noticing that I wasn't leaving.

I decide to take the first step and explain. "Hey, I'll be helping you today. Yesterday was supposed to be my turn, but I wasn't told then." I tell her, trying to sound apologetic.

"Oh, so that's what it is?" She finally said, speaking with a thick, tropical accent, and visibly relaxing. "Well, I can't complain 'bout it. It'd make things go quicker." She said as she walked toward the small cabinet on the back of the room and gathered some cleaning supplies for the desks and a box of disposable latex gloves. "I'm Velvet Scarlatina, by the way."

"Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you." I say as I walk next to the supplies and put on a pair of gloves. Meanwhile, Velvet had started applying detergent to the desk in the far left corner, so I began cleaning the one beside it.

"It must be tough being two years younger than everybody in here." Velvet comments after a while before letting out a nervous chuckle. "I'd be really embarrassed all the time."

"Yeah, I'm not too happy about it actually." I answer as I finish one desk and move to another. "I mean, most of the time it isn't a problem, until you notice how people act when you're not looking. Commenting behind your back…"

"Givin' you weird looks…"

"Treating you differently…"

"Lookin' down on you…"

"Yeah… Wait, what?" I catch up with what's just been said. Velvet also reels back and fumbles to find her voice.

"What I meant is… I kinda know how you feel." She says with a sigh. "I'm very self-conscious about myself, so I get a little anxious around too many people. I can't help it." She finishes with another nervous chuckle. "Wow, you must think that I'm a little odd now."

"Actually, I'm relieved." I tell her, which earned me a surprised stare from Velvet. "At least now I know that I'm not the only one feeling that self-conscious. Thanks for sharing that with me."

Velvet smiles broadly. "No, thank you."

 **I am Thou, Thou art I  
** **Thou hast established a new bond**

 **It brings thee closer to the Truth**

 **Thou shalt be blessed  
** **When creating Personas of the** **Priestess Arcana** **.**

We continue talking as we clean up the desks and the backboard, then put away the supplies and walk out of the classroom. Yang is still attending the tryouts for her team, so I leave for the bus stop with Velvet. We talk all the way before she gets down a stop before mine. After a minute, I get down on my stop and head back home.

 **Wednesday, April 12th/ Evening.**

After arriving home, I bring down my laptop to check my e-mail while watching TV with the volume down. I check the lists of topics for the research and compare it with the one Jaune gave me. It is only a fifth part of the total amount, but these are really interesting subjects. I highlight the ones Jaune picked on the document and start working on my homework.

Around an hour or so, Yang arrives home, totally beat. She complains how most of the applicants aren't actually interested in joining the team just for the sake of joining the team, and how some of them were downright weirdos. We have dinner early and watch TV in the living room until 10 pm. I go to my room, change into my pajamas and crawl to bed.

"Goodnight Mom. Goodnight Fenrir."

* * *

 _Ruby Rose has forged the_ _Shy Freshman_ _Social Link of the_ _Priestess Arcana_

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 1.  
01\. The Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 1.  
02\. The Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina) Rank 1 ( **Initiated!** )  
19\. The Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 1


	10. Th, 4-13

**Th, 4/13**

 **Thursday, April 13th/ After School.**

The last bell ring catches me off guard. I was thinking about the Reflection and wondering when Ren would be contacting me about it. I know that he said he'd let us know when to meet again, but I can't help but get a little anxious. I keep reminding myself that there's no hurry to go there at the moment, I'm certainly not looking forward to go back yet. Especially since Yang would be coming with us. She says that she can take care of herself, but I don't know how much of that is true when dealing with Shadows. Last time was close, maybe next time...

I push aside that topic and quickly look over at the backboard, making a mental note of reviewing today's lesson later. I make it to stand up from my desk, but almost immediately bump into Weiss, who was also about to get up. She stares venom at me and lets out a snarl; if she tried to scare me, she kinda succeeded.

"Could you stop that?" She asks through clenched teeth. "Seriously, it is bad enough that I have to sit next to you all schooldays, but I don't have to put up with your clumsiness if I can help it."

There was it again, that unfairness, that self-entitlement that seemed to back up her attitude. " _I_ was clumsy? I was just getting up from my desk! _You_ decided to get up at the same time and into where I was."

"Are you saying it was my fault?"

"I'm saying it is no one's fault, Weiss. It was an accident." I look at her right in the eye and she seems to relent a bit. I take a deep breath and collect my thoughts. "Look, I'm sorry for crashing into you the other day, and for ruining that dress and…" I look to my side to make sure nobody was hearing. "The _other_ incident. But the truth is, that it was all an accident, Weiss. I don't mean to be bumping heads with you all the time. In fact, I'm annoyed of it too. But I'm not holding it against you, _even_ if I could.

"You don't wanna be friends? Fine. But please, stop being so… this." I finish with what I hope is a firm stare.

Weiss was taken aback near the end of my short speech, though whether she was caught off guard or offended even further, I couldn't tell. She finally seized me with an even stare and began. "Are you really sorry?"

I maintain the same expression. "Yes."

"Very well." She turns and picks her stuff before turning back at me. "Let's forget about _everything_ , and be more careful in the future. Deal?"

"Deal."

She nods once and makes it to the door. I gather my things and also leave the classroom.

I have track practice today, so I change into my P.E. uniform and join the girls on the benches while the boys run in the track. I manage to participate in a discussion about some various music bands before Coach calls us to the course. After a warm-up lap, the three of us have another exercise race; once again, I save my energy for the final sprint but this time I finish first, though the other girls weren't that far behind and I'm still out of breath.

"Excellent work, Ladies. All three of you are improving greatly." Coach says while deliberately looking at his clipboard and chronometer. "Your time has gotten better, but it seems that the problem lies on your endurance. Nothing to worry about now though, we still have three months before the competition season begins, which gives us plenty of time to work on that in the meantime." He lets out a cough before dismissing the practice.

I walk to the benches, where Sun is waiting with a bottle of water. "Hey, think fast." He warns as he throws me the bottle, which I catch before taking a swig from it. "You did better than the other day, huh?"

"Yeah. I did use to run on track back in Patch, this is nothing I'm not accustomed to." I say while drying myself with a towel.

"No kidding. I was watching you run there. You almost matched my own time!" He happily says.

I smirk at him "Feeling threatened that a little girl will leave you in shame?"

"Not at all. It means that there's a chance that you could race me on my level."

I stare confused at him. "Wow. I know I was kidding, but you really are taking that really well. I mean, I'd understand if you got upset or something." What the heck did I just say? "What I mean is, that you really sound excited about me being able to race you. I thought you didn't like to compete with others."

"You're kinda right there. I don't like competing unless it is with someone really good. It is way more fun than just run after a silly prize. Don't you think?" He asks with a cocky smile on his face.

"Yeah, I guess it is more exciting if you beat somebody that is really good."

"OR being beaten by someone really good. Defeat isn't that bad, it just means that you can only get better." He stares at the track, a longing expression in his eyes and a big smile. "It really doesn't matter if you win or lose; it is all part of the experience, and both outcomes can be good as long as you're just having fun."

He turns back at me with a determined smile. "So keep getting better, you hear? It won't be as fun if I beat you when you're not at the top of your game." He says as he offers a hand.

"Oh, trust me Sun. It is on." I shake his hand.

After that, each of us go on to their way. I pick up my stuff and head back home.

 **Thursday, April 13th/ Evening.**

After arriving home and getting cleaned, I sit in my room to review the lesson I missed when I get a text message.

 _REN: We can meet tomorrow at the school-building rooftop. We'll meet after school._

I text a reply.

 _RUBY: Ok… Have you texted Yang?_

 _REN: Should I?_

I think for a second before writing back.

 _RUBY: Don't, I'll let her know._

 _REN: Very well._

I text Yang and put my phone down before continuing my readings as best as I can.

Yang arrives two hours later, and she was livid this time. Apparently, one of the guys tried to pull an inappropriate stunt and she had to be hold back after knocking the guy out. Dad didn't object too harshly, but did warn Yang about not going too far and all that stuff. Other than that, she told us that the Judo team now has ten new members, and that she was glad to be over with it.

We all help out with dinner. After cleaning up, I go back to my room and plop down on my bed. tonight is really hot, so I don't bother with my covers.

"Goodnight Mom. Goodnight Fenrir."

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 1.  
01\. The Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 1.  
02\. The Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina) Rank 1.  
19\. The Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 2 ( **Rank Up!)**

* * *

 **A/N** :

Me: What is this? Two updates in the same week? Inconceivable!  
Inigo: That word you just used, I don't think it means what you think it means.  
Me: Shut up, Montoya! I'm trying to make comedy here!

Anyhow, I found it in me to make a new chapter for today. It was ready yesterday, but the site was messing up big time with the log-in. I might get the next chapter posted soon, but I'm waiting for something to be ready. You'll see what I'm talking about next update ;)

Enjoi this chapter.

Also, it seems that I've been "Seenzoned" by the mayority of the readers. C'mon, I want to hear everybody's opinions, so don't hesitate to leave a review.


	11. Fr, 4-14

**Fr, 4/14**

 **Friday, April 14th/ Early Morning.**

I wake up before four in the morning, feeling restless. I linger in bed for a long time before my alarm clock goes off; I am not repeating the same thing that happened last week. I take a shower and get dressed in only a minute before I check my books in my hand bag. There's still a free space inside my bag, and I wonder if it would be okay to take my laptop for class. I decide to look up on that later and head downstairs for breakfast. Yang made scrambled eggs and bacon.

Dad walks into the kitchen wearing a tweed jacket and a string tie. He was carrying a brown suitcase with him with the letters "TXL" press-printed on its front. He grabs a piece of toast and munch on it while checking his phone. "You two are awake early." He notes.

"Yeah, for some reason classes start and end earlier on Fridays. I don't know why yet, though."

Yang then comments. "It was the Principal's idea. I think he said it is for weekends to start earlier or something like that." She finishes with a forkful of egg.

"Well, that is kinda nice. Though It'd be better if History wasn't my first class."

"Meh, the Doc. isn't that bad. You need to warm up to him, is all." She falls silent for a second before adding. "But don't stare at his helmet for too long… or mention gladiators around him unless you want to lose an hour of your life."

"That's true," dad also mentions, "old Barry can get a little too passionate about Ancient Mistral Culture." We all laugh a little at that. "Anyway, I'm off. You two behave, okay?" We both nod at him before he leaves.

After hearing the SUV drive away, I turn to Yang. "By the way, Ren texted me yesterday." Yang puts the fork down. "He wants to meet us after school." I explain to her.

She looks pensive for a moment before speaking again. "Well, maybe we'll learn more about what the plan is. He's gotta have a plan if we're doing what he's asking."

I swallow the bite of bacon I had before focusing on my breakfast. I don't want to forbid Yang from coming the next time, but there's just too much risk. Maybe she has a Persona, maybe not. But Ren also has a Persona, and he was beaten that one time somehow.

I just don't want to take the risk.

It is too soon to decide yet, so I push that aside and finish my breakfast. Soon after, Yang and I are heading to school.

 **Friday, April 14th/ Lunch.**

During break, Jaune sits with me at a table. "Hey Ruby. Look, when do you think we can get together to study?"

I think for a few seconds before answering. "Well, I have nothing going on this weekend. So maybe we can meet tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me." He says as he turns back to his lunch.

We eat over small talk until the third period.

 **Friday, April 14th/ Afternoon.**

After classes finish, I meet with Yang on the second floor and climb two more floors to reach the rooftop. We find Ren standing near the fences on the edge of the roof, staring at the ocean. He turns after hearing us approach, and starts talking. "You came early." He points out.

"You are early too." I point back. He nods once.

"So… Are we doing something today or what?" Yang asks as she stretches herself.

Ren however crosses his arms and shakes his head slowly. "We're not going to the Reflection today." He states while also looking at each of us, measuring our reactions. "Going in there with little experience can be too dangerous if you go alone."

Yang lets out a weary sigh. "Ugh, is this one of those bullshit loopholes? The 'I can't get experience because I don't have experience because I can't get experience' thing?" I stare at her in confusion, and then she adds. "What? It's a real thing."

"Not exactly." Ren counters. "Rose needs to get accustomed to using her powers, but she won't be able to hold herself without assistance." He lets his arms hang to his sides before continuing. "I could fight alongside her, but during a fight, communication can be a bit difficult. That's why I've been working on something on the last few days, that may allow me to offer tactical back up to Rose the next time we go to the Reflection. It is not ready yet though, so we'll need to wait a little more.

"I've also been exploring the Reflection, to scout the area for small groups of Shadows for you to train against. But it seems that they never stay the same. That's also a reason why we need to wait for the device to be ready."

"'Device'? What does it do?" I ask him. To which I receive a smile from Ren.

"You'll see.

"Also, there's one thing you might want." He says before reaching his backpack and retrieving a pair of grey PVC tubes from it, and handing them to me. They feel strangely heavy. At my confusion, he explains. "Just assemble them together." He then takes a step back.

Yang imitates him as I fumble with the pair of tubes. I finally manage to screw the two ends together, and with a slight "click" the two tubes extend twice their length. I yelp in surprise as the spring mechanism sets down and I examine the plastic polearm that I was holding. It was about a meter long, grey PCV all along its length, and a metallic tip at the end.

"The Power of your Persona is the most effective way to deal with Shadows, but relying only on a Persona puts a lot of strain on yourself, so you should have a weapon to protect yourself. I figured you could do well with a spear, seeing how you used that cloth rack the other day." Ren commented. When I asked him where did he get it, he simply said "I have a friend."

I fumble with the spear for a moment before I manage to disconnect the pieces again, which in turn made the tubes retract back to their former size. "This is pretty cool and all…"

"More like badass." Yang snickers.

"... But isn't it made of just plastic? I don't think it would be very effective against a giant beetle."

Ren in response, pulls out a pair of toy swords from his backpack. They are shorter than the ones he was using last Saturday, but they are definitely similar. "Reality is a lot different in the Reflection. What is just a replica in here, becomes real in the other side."

I don't understand what that is supposed to mean, but I decide to ponder on that later. I hide the two spear halves in my handbag when Yang speaks again. "So… is that all for now?"

"For now, yes." Ren says. "The device should be ready soon, so I'll let you know when we can go to the Reflection." He says.

I decide to call off the reunion. "Well, if that's going to be all, I guess we should all get going, right?"

Nobody objects, so we all head back to the school's exit and Ren goes to his own separate way. Yang and I grab a drink on the juice bar and then head back home.

 **Friday, April 14th/ Evening.**

After we arrive home, Yang flops on the couch and starts watching tv while I go upstairs and put away all my stuff in my room. I head back down to watch this animal show with the talking CGI gecko when the phone rings. Yang picks up.

After a brief exchange, she hangs up and turns to me. "It was dad. The tutoring got extended a little bit, he'll arrive tomorrow in the afternoon."

So Yang and I end up having ham quesadillas for dinner. After eating and cleaning up, I head back to my room to get changed. As I'm getting ready for bed, I notice a blinking light in my phone, indicating an unread message. I unlock my phone and read it.

 _REN: The device might be ready for Sunday, so if you're free to come we can start training…_

Well, that's good news. But it is also too sudden, though it is true that I need to train. I read the rest of the message…

I feel a rock falling into my stomach.

 _…_ _I haven't said anything because it isn't my place, but you should really discourage your sister from coming. It is too dangerous for her._

Well… it seems my decision was made for me.

I text back to Ren, telling him that I'll do what I can. Then I lay on bed.

I have difficulty falling asleep.

* * *

 **A/N** : Artwork! :D

[This site doesn't support hyperlinking, so please look up "Ruby Rose and Fenrir" on DeviantArt to see the artwork]

Huge props to GamerandArtist, whose dedication and patience, and his brother's, achieved this piece of awesomeness. Go support them in their DA page.


	12. Sa, 4-15

**Sa, 4/15**

 **Saturday, April 15th/ Morning.**

I wake up feeling like a ton of bricks was dropped on top of me while I was asleep. I sit up and reach back for my phone, checking again Ren's text message. He thinks Yang shouldn't go back to the reflection. I also don't want her risking her life either, but I don't want to tell her off either. She might not listen, or she might get angry with me. I'm afraid…

A spike of pain burst on my forehead. I reach with a hand while also staring at my wristband. I could swear I saw Fenrir shaking his head on the reflective surface of the token. Or maybe it was in my head. Both ideas seem very plausible.

I could see his point though. After all of this started, I decided that I wouldn't be afraid to act. I'm afraid of telling Yang that she can't come, but I have to do it.

My phone gets a new text message. Jaune is asking if I could call.

That's right! we agreed to meet today to study!

I quickly press call on his number and wait for him to pick up. " _Hello?_ "

"Hey Jaune! What's up?"

" _Oh, hey Ruby! I didn't wake you up, did I?_ "

"I just got up." I explain while I get off from bed. "Ready for our study session?"

" _Yeah. Where should we meet though? I realized yesterday that we didn't exactly pick a place._ "

I ponder for a bit. It is short notice, so going to either one's homes wouldn't be a good idea. "Let's just go and meet at the school grounds and then take it from there."

" _Sure, no problem. See ya soon, then_ " He hangs up.

I get ready to head out. I go downstairs and have a quick breakfast while I explain Yang where I'll be going. Then I head outside and grab the bus to the school; as I'm riding there, I decide to speak to Yang later.

 **Saturday, April 15th/ Daytime.**

After meeting up with Jaune, we manage to enter to MOS and sit on a table at the courtyard. We spend an hour sharing note-taking tips and catching up on the material, and then help each other start writing the assignment for the next week. It is well past twelve when we call it a day.

As we're walking to leave the school grounds, I spot Yang lingering near the entrance. "Yang? What are you doing here?"

"Hey sis, Jaune. How did the study session went?"

"Pretty well." Jaune says before excusing himself. I then turn back to Yang.

"Look, I wanted to invite you around town." She says. "With all that's been going, we haven't had a chance to just hang out. You haven't seen the fun part of the town yet. I know this great arcade that you _have_ to visit." She says with a big smile

I have to admit, visiting an arcade does sound tempting. But I still have to tell her that she shouldn't go back.

"Sure… why not?"

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I'll tell her after we're done. It won't matter when I tell her anyways.

Turns out that she came on a motorcycle that she owns. That really took me off guard. She passes me a spare helmet and she ride us both to the Amusement Mile. We stop in front of a burger restaurant to grab some lunch before getting on the bike again.

After a short ride, she stops in front of a small building with a neon sign that read "Bear Cave Arcade" in front of it. The inside of the arcade was lit by several green, white and blue lights right off the lobby; beyond it, I could see several arcade machines lined up from the front to the back of the arcade. After checking in and buying around fifty arcade tokens, Yang and I spend off about three hours just mashing buttons and playing either Co-op games or vs games.

After Yang beats me for the tenth time in that fighting game and I watch her character mercilessly punch a hole through my character's chest, we had already spent all of our tokens. "Ha ha! How does defeat taste, little sis?"

Like crap, maybe?

"Not fair Yang, Angel Claws is too OP! Nerf please."

"Aw, it's okay Ruby, I'll go easy on you next time." She says as she laughs and pulls my hoodie over my head.

"Hey, cut it out." I say as I put it down again.

She laughs a little bit before smiling apologetically. "Sorry, that was too much. It's just that I've never had this much fun before." She says while we walk towards the exit. We stop before leaving to buy two colas from the vending machine at the lobby, and we linger outside while we drink it.

"So? How're you linking Vale?" She asks. "Bet there's nothing like this back in Patch, is there?"

"No, there never was an arcade back there, but there were enough to distract oneself with. But I pretty much stuck to our apartment. I really had much going on back there."

After that, we just seated in silence, just letting time pass. I recalled life back in Vale, and just how quiet it was.

"Y'know," Yang begins again, "I've always wondered how much closer we would have been had you and Summer stayed here. Growing up together, having sleep-overs and sharing secrets and all that stuff."

"I think I feel the same way." I tell her back. "I always knew that I had a big sister, but I never knew what that was supposed to mean. Back in Patch, I was never close to anyone else; Mom was pretty much my only friend. But I guess I always wanted to have a sister."

"Well, it is something similar to this." She says while pointing a thumb to the arcade. "Just, having a good time together, making fun of each other and just being there for each other. There's really nothing else to it.

"I know it isn't much after so many years, but I guess that what I mean to say is that you can count on me if you ever need it. Now, we're not just sisters. We're friends."

 **I am Thou, Thou art I  
** **Thou hast established a new bond**

 **It brings thee closer to the Truth**

 **Thou shalt be blessed  
** **When creating Personas of the** **Strength Arcana** **.**

I need to tell her. I keep repeating to myself that I need to tell her about the training tomorrow, and that she should really sit this out.

I've wasted enough time.

"Yang, thank you for this. I am really glad to have you as my big sister, and to know that I can count on you." Brace yourself. "I really don't want to imagine what would have happened a week ago with that beetle. And I don't want you to take that risk again.

"Look, Ren texted me yesterday afternoon. The 'device' is ready, so we can go tomorrow to the Reflection for me to train. But, you shouldn't come, I don't want you to go."

I feel time slowing down and the pressure of gravity crushing down on me. Yang's smile was wiped off from her face, she just froze in place, staring at me. I hadn't realized that my voice had broken and that my eyes had teared up until she swept me into a hug. It took all of my strength not to start bawling right there.

"I'm sorry." I silently sob to her shoulder. "I-I just don't want to..."

"It's okay Ruby. I understand." She says while lightly patting my head.

She rides us back home.

 **Saturday, April 15th/ Evening.**

By the time we get back, I had picked myself together. Yang also seemed to be back to normal. Dad had arrived home half an hour ago, so we told him what we did this afternoon. He ordered chinese food for dinner, and we all eat while watching tv.

After eating and cleaning up, I go up to my room and crawl to bed.

I need to rest for tomorrow's training...

* * *

 _Ruby Rose has forged the_ _Yang Xiao Long_ _Social Link of the_ _Strength Arcana_

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 1.  
01\. The Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 1.  
02\. The Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 1.  
11\. The Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 1 ( **Initiated!** )  
19\. The Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 2.


	13. Su, 4-16

**Su, 4/16**

 **Sunday, April 16th/ Morning.**

My morning routine went down as usual. During breakfasts, Dad treats us to how his lesson went up in the city; apparently, one of the college students was stuck with his explanation of why if you looked at a mirror that was a light-year away, you'd end up looking into the past… or was it the future? Anyway, he says that that guy was practically the reason he had to stay so much.

After going back up to my room to get dressed, I type a quick text to Ren.

 _RUBY: Hey Ren, good morning. How are we gonna do this?_

After a few seconds, I get his reply

 _REN: Use the mirror at Adel's again. I'll meet you in the other side. I'll be there at 3:00 pm._

After sending him an "ok," there's a knock in my door. "Come in!" I announce as I put my phone away.

The door opens and Yang enters the room. "Hey," she glances at the walls and grimaces a little, "you sure you don't want to change the wallpaper? This is really a lot of pink."

"It doesn't really bother me… Maybe we can change it the next month?" I offer.

"Sure." She says. There is a brief silence before she speaks again. "So… how is your plan?"

I fidget with the pouch on my hoodie before answering. "I'm meeting with Ren in the other side of the mirror in Adel's. He's going there in the afternoon, though."

"Okay, there's no hurry then." She casually comments. "You'd need a pretext for dad though. Maybe we could go to the grocery store again." I must have reacted in some way, because Yang immediately added. "Don't worry, I'm just going as your alibi. You don't want me back in that place, so I won't go there."

For some reason, that doesn't make me feel less guilty. "Yang, I'm sorry. It's just~"

She raises a hand to silence me, so I let her continue. "Rubes, you don't need to say anything else, but it is my turn to speak now." She pauses for a second before continuing. "I get it, okay? You are scared that I might get hurt, or worse, and you just want to prevent that from happening. I wasn't thinking about how you were feeling. I was only… I'm sorry, Ruby.

"I wish I could help you more, but I don't want to make you feel worried about this. And I figure that being all worried over me is a bad idea if you're fighting monsters. I might end up doing more harm than good." She sits by me in my bed and gives an one-arm hug. "So don't feel bad about this, Okay?"

I turn to look at her, smiling broadly, and I return the smile. "Okay. Thanks for understanding." Then I return the hug.

A little while after, Yang goes back down while I sit with some of my assigned readings. After an hour, I decide to go downstairs, not before picking the two pieces of my spear and putting them on the pouch of my hoodie. Once I make sure they won't fall out or spring on their own, I go to the living room and kill some more time until we have to head out. Yang is telling dad that she wants to make "her special enchiladas" for dinner in the week, but that she'd need to go buy the ingredients. That manages to convince him, so I offer Yang to help her out with the grocery shopping. "Gotta make sure you don't buy too many chilies this time."

"Yeah, good luck with that sis." She replies back.

So with our plan decided, I just wait the day until it's time to go out.

 **Sunday, April 16th/ Daytime.**

Yang and I take the bus to the town. We walk together until we're in front of the grocery store. "Okay then, I'll go buy the stuff while you go on your date." Yang says with a wink

"What?! Yang!" I groan.

"Oh, I'm just kidding!" She says while laughing before continuing. "You… just go and take care of that training. I'll wait by the juice bar for when you're done…" She pauses for a second before asking. "How long do you think you'll take?"

That's a good question.

"I don't know. I might try to take it easy and do just one hour. It'll all depend of how it'll all go." I tell her.

"Fair point. Be careful, okay?" She says giving me a pat in the arm.

"I will."

With that, Yang goes toward the grocery store while I make my way back to Adel's Boutique. When I enter the store, I casually walk my way to the changing room whilst pretending to look for a dress. When nobody was looking, I sneak into the room and approach the vanity mirror. I press a hand on the glass, feeling the surface give away before I took a breath and went right through it.

 **Sunday, April 16th/ _Reflection_.**

I step out of the reversed changing room and stare at the inside of the store, which was completely wrecked. I avert my gaze from the pile of burned clothes.

"Good to see you arrived."

I look to my right to see Ren with his back to the wall. He straightens himself as I walk up to meet him. He turns back and picks a small briefcase that was on the floor next to him. "Did you have problem with your sister?"

I look toward the rest of the store. "She… understood the situation." I answer half-heartedly. He nods once as he makes his way towards the street, I follow closely behind. The unnatural light in the sky is just as I recall it, eerie and illogical, and the awkward silence that has settled in only helps in making me feel uneasy. "So… how are we gonna do this?" I ask while taking out my spear.

"We'll go to the park for the moment. There is usually a small number of Shadows, enough to get yourself started." He says.

"Okay." I tell him back, deciding that awkward silence was better than awkward conversation.

I nod once and we both walk out of the greyed out boutique. After a short walk, we arrive at the entrance of a public park. Right out of the gate, I could see a number trails crossing between the trees and a small playground a few feet away and a pond about a mile or two away. Like the rest of the world though, everything was a pure white: The grass, threes, playground; even the water on the pond seemed to be made of liquid silver or something similar.

I look back at Ren to ask him about that water, but I find him crouched on the floor while opening the briefcase he brought. I peek at the inside of what I figured must be the "device" to see that it is an old radio console. In the lower part of the case are a bunch of buttons and frequency turners, while the top halve showed a LCD screen, a circular radar screen and several other LED lights. The entire thing seems to be dead though, but Ren was looking over the levers and wheels.

He then grabs a strap attached to the cable where the mic was supposed to be and tied it on his left wrist. He holds his hand over the device for a seconds, and see the token of his green wristband glow a faint blue; the glow then enveloped his entire forearm and hand, before he closed his hand into a fist, making the blue aura shatter like glass. When I look again, there's a single stream connecting the wristband and the cable on the machine, which had just turned back to life and was now displaying several readings.

Ren played around with the settings a little more before turning to me. "Seems that the Shadow Radar is working perfectly." He says before handing me an headset, which I quickly put on my left ear. "This will allow me to track your movements and keep a record of the Shadows we encounter."

"How did you… What was that light show? How are you making this old radio work?" I ask him in disbelief.

He taps his wristband. "I'm using my Persona Power. The Potential gives you certain level of awareness to your immediate surroundings. By connecting my Evoker to the device, I can increase the reach of my own awareness. The headset I gave you will gather data from any Shadow that you fight, and record it in the computer." He says pointing at one part of the console. He then turns to look at me and I can see a hint of regret on his face."This is going to be its test-drive, though. I'm sorry about that."

I simply shrug at this while I bring out the halves of my spear and start assembling them. "Well, it's better than nothing." At this, the spear springs up to its full length, which was longer than what I remember, so I give the spear a second glance and I nearly drop it.

It now looked more like an actual weapon: The staff was a single metal pole, with no visible unions or marks, and the blade at the tip was much thicker and sharper. Looking closely, I notice that the blade looks like it is designed in order to cut and slash rather than stab things with it.

I look from the spear to Ren, who is just smirking at me. "I told you."

"Very funny. Anyway, I guess I should get going then."

"Right. We can finish at any moment you'd like, just so you know."

"Okay." And with that, I cross the gate into the park.

Once I'm a few good meters beyond the entrance, I get a radio feed on the headset. _/Rose. Do you copy me?/_

"Loud and clear," I look around the area while tensing my grip on the spear, "I still haven't found any Shadows."

 _/Wait a second… There's one to your right. Be ready!/_

I turn to my right and there was a Shadow indeed. It looked like a simple puddle of blackness before a head and to clawed hand emerged from it, its face covered by a cyan mask, fixed in an expression of sadness. It lunged at me, its entire body sliding on the floor and one hand ready to sweep at me.

I jump to one side, avoiding the claw completely and retaliate with a swing of my weapon. The blade slashes right across the Shadow's mask, and it dissolves into red and black smoke.

"Well, so far so good." I comment to myself.

 _/Be careful. I'm picking up a few more further down the path./_

"Understood." I say as I approach the pond in the middle of the park. Once there I spot two more of the blob shadows, but there's another one accompanying them. It looks like a floating, invisible dolphin, with a magenta and black scroll coiled around it and a magenta butterfly mask set on top of its head.

"Ren, this one looks different." I comment through the headset at the same time the shadows take notice of me.

 _/Wait a second, I'll start recording. Try to find a weakness to exploit./_

Find a weakness, huh?

I glance at the red wristband I got, my Evoker, which was starting to glow a faint blue and enveloping my forearm, and then I stare at the dolphin Shadow. "Let's give this a try." I present my Evoker to the Shadows.

" _PERSONA!_ "

I close my fist, breaking the aura of light around my arm. Fenrir soon materializes in place and glares down at the Shadows. His eyes flicker with a green light before releasing a howl at the Shadows, causing a gale of green wind to appear beneath the Dolphin Shadow. It gets twirled around by the tornado and drops down to the ground; the blobs slide back in hesitation. Fenrir fades out and I take the chance to attack one of the blob Shadows. I take a long swing of my spear, with hits right on the neck of the right blob, which stiffens up before melting back to the ground.

Another blob however sneaks up to my back and hits me with the back of its claw. I stagger back and hold my arm in pain; it didn't cut through cloth, but it gave me a bruise for sure. I walk back, keeping my spear pointing at the blob, while I catch the dolphin getting up on the corner of my eye. I raise my hand again.

" _FENRIR!_ "

Fenrir appears once again, this time sweeping one of his arm-blades at the Shadow that hit me. It cuts right through the blob, which immediately dissolves before looking back at the flying dolphin and making another tornado appear beneath it. The Shadow falls down once again, and I go for the kill before it can get up again. I nail the spear right on its head, which makes the Shadow explode in more smoke. Fenrir disappears once again, and I double over while holding my head.

 _/Rose, are you alright?/_ I hear Ren asking through the radio.

"I'm okay! Just a little light headed." I sit in place for a minute before I can see straight again. "I don't know what came over me."

 _/Remember, you're not accustomed to using your Persona yet. It becomes easier over time, but you shouldn't exert yourself./_

I take a mental note to be more cautious, then stand up once again. "Okay, got it." I look around and then glance at the watch in my phone. It's only been five minutes since I started training. "I want to keep going, if that's okay."

 _/Very well. I'll keep gathering more data./_

For almost half an hour, I track down and eliminate more Shadows, sometimes finding another strong one, which just takes more time to kill. As I fight, it becomes easier for me to kill most of the Shadows in one swipe, and using Fenrir's powers becomes a little less exhausting. Fenrir even learns how to target several enemies at once with his wind attack.

After thirty minutes, I've cleared through dozens of Shadows. "I think I'm good for now!" I inform Ren as I make my way towards the exit.

 _/Very well then… wait… Rose, be careful! I'm picking a strong signal near your position!/_

Before I have time to react, I feel a sharp pain on my leg. I look down and see my foot and foreleg completely covered in ice. It hurts a lot! I turn around and see a large bird flying in place behind me. It had black feathers all over its body, it had no face on its head, was carrying a lantern filled with blue flames with its talons and donned an orage, skull-shaped mask on its chest.

The bird lets out a loud screech, at the same time the ice thaws out on my leg. It's still stinging, but I think I can still walk. Ren is screaming into the headset _/Rose, this one is really dangerous. Whatever it just did just made it stronger. Be on your guard!/_

After making sure I don't have frostbite, I glare at the crow-thing. Better try something before it attacks again.

" _PERSONA!_ " Fenrir releases a gust of wind into the Shadow, but it doesn't seem to be getting knocked down.

It then shoots forward an icicle at Fenrir, who gets knocked back to the ground. I feel a sharp pain in my head at the same time Fenrir fades away, and before I know it, the raven is charging at me, knocking me a few feets back.

 _/ROSE!/_

I clutch my head as I try to stand back on my feet. I feel like I have the mother of all brain freezes, and my arm hurts a lot. Wind has no effect, and I can't risk to get close to it. If this keeps going like this, I might die. I have to do something.

Suddenly, the pain in my head is replaced by a steady pressure. The same pressure I felt the day I summoned Fenrir. I glance at my Evoker, it is emitting a faint light once again, but I don't feel only Fenrir this time. There's something else now, but it is out of focus. I swipe a finger over the token, and the mental image becomes somewhat clearer, but I still can't make out what it is. The pressure fades away, and the light envelops my arm once again. Without giving it a second thought, I close my fist.

" _PERSONA!_ "

The light in my arm spreads away like shards of glass and gathered in a form different than Fenrir.

It was a blonde woman clad in leather and iron, carrying two swords and wearing a white, winged domino-mask. She was riding a red horse that pawed at an invisible ground and her white cape billowed by an ethereal wind.

 _I am Thou, and Thou art I. My name is Brunhilde. I shall lend thee my assistance. Come Forth!_

 _/Rose, are you okay?! I'm picking up a new reading! What is happening?!/_

I stare at Brunhilde in disbelief. I'm broken out of my shock by a sudden blizzard, the eagle was attacking again. However, I don't feel the stinging cold anymore. I look back at this new Persona and see that she was enduring the blizzard as best as she could. Brunhilde's horse rears back and the giant raven seemed to shake in the air for some reason before Brunhilde charged towards it, swinging her twin swords to cleave through both wings of the Shadow, which falls to the ground before dissolving into smoke. Brunhilde then regards me with a compassionate smile and a green light shines upon me, causing the sting and pain to disappear, just before Brunhilde faded away.

I turn on my heels and return to the entrance before anything crazy happens. Ren is right next to me the moment I get out.

"Rose, are you okay?" He says concerned. "What happened?"

"I… think I'm okay." I say while rubbing my arm. "I just… I don't know what happened." I explain to him what happened in the fight with that eagle Shadow. When I mention Brunhilde, his eyes become as wide as dinner plates.

"You summoned another Persona?" He asks, his tone betraying his surprise.

"I guess I did." I say with a nervous laugh. "Is that weird?"

"I'd say it is. I am only capable of summoning Yoshitsune." He explains, bringing a hand to his chin. "I have no idea why you have two Personas."

I try to understand what just happened too. Suddenly, I remember the dreams I've been having as of late.

The Fool Arcana.

Limitless Potential.

Could this be what that man, Igor, told me?

"Anyway. There's no point in thinking about that in this place." Ren explains.

After disassembling my spear and putting it away, Ren and I make our way back to Adel's. By the time we arrive, my pain has subsided a little. He leaves first, telling me to wait one minute before I leave too, in order to avoid suspicion from the manager. I wait a full minute and then some before I cross the mirror back to the real world.

Once outside, I go to where the juice bar is and meet with Yang. I help her with the groceries and board the bus ride back to home.

"So, how was it?" She asks quietly.

"It was…" don't say that you almost die. "cool." Good save. I tell her some of the safests parts, and decide not to try and explain about Brunhilde yet. We remain the rest of the ride in comfortable silence.

 **Sunday, April 16th/ Evening.**

After arriving home, I excuse myself and go take a hot shower. I don't have any sign of frostbite luckily, but I do have some small bruises and scratches, but nothing too severe. Still, I have to be more careful next time.

After getting cleaned and changed to my pajamas, I go downstairs and help with the dinner: Stir fry of yesterday's leftovers. After finishing eating and cleaning up, all three of us sit and watch another football game until it's almost 10:00 pm.

I give my goodnights before going back to my room and passing out on my bed. I barely have any energy to say goodnight to anyone else.

* * *

Arcana Analysis:  
 **Fenrir (Fool)** :  
Resists: Strike, Fire.  
Weak: Ice.  
Skills: Garu, Cleave, Sukukaja, Magaru.  
 **Brunhilde (Strength)** :  
Resists: Ice.  
Weak: Wind.  
Skills: Bufu, Arm Chopper, Dia, Rakunda.

 **Cowardly Maya (Magician)** :  
Slash Attack.  
 **Calm Pesce (Priestess)** :  
Weak: Wind.  
Strike Attack.  
 **Arctic Raven (Hermit)** :  
Blocks: Wind.  
Weak: Fire.  
Bufu, Tarukaja, Bash.

* * *

 **A/N** : Quick disclaimer. "Brunhilde" is the same Persona as "Valkyrie." The reason I changed her name is because there's another Valkyrie in this story (Nora), so having the two would have been a little confusing for some readers.


	14. Mo, 4-17

**Mo, 4/17**

 **Monday, April 17th/ Morning.**

I am starving this morning.

I help myself to two portions of eggs and three pieces of toast and ravage through breakfast. I take a pause to catch my breath when I notice that both Yang and Dad are staring at me. "I… am really hungry this morning." I offer sheepishly.

Dad lets out a chuckle. "It's not a problem. You're growing up, after all; have to eat everything you need to eat. Just be sure to leave some for everybody." He jokes before turning back at me again, looking concerned. "Now that you mention it, you looked pretty exhausted yesterday. Is everything okay?"

Uh-oh.

"I… well…" Dammit Ruby, think of something!

"Dad, it's been dealt with." Yang quickly interjects. "Yesterday was… not the right moment for Ruby to go out."

Dad looks at Yang confused. "'Not the right moment'? What's that supposed to mean?" He asks, looking back and forth between us. What the hell is Yang talking about?

"You know… that time of the month and all."

Oh. My. God.

I think my face just burst into flames.

Dad's brow furrows for a second before his eyes widened in surprise (and a little horror). "OH! Okay! That's… um…" He coughs on his hand. "I… Thanks Yang, for helping Ruby with… that issue." He finishes his breakfast and stands up while picking his plate. "If you excuse me, I'll go wash this." And with that, he storms into the kitchen.

A little while after that incident, Yang and I are on the bus drive to MOS. "Ugh, I can't believe you told him _that_!" I complain to her.

"Oh, don't be so sensitive. I was just covering you up." She says nonchalantly.

"Well, you should have said something else! What if I get my period later this month? He's gonna be so suspicious about it then." I explain.

"Don't worry about that. He always gets flustered when anyone mentions that to him. He doesn't want to do anything with that." She says before looking back at me. "Trust me, you're on the clear."

I glare at her for five seconds before taking a breath. "Okay, if you say so." I look at the window. "Thanks for covering for me."

"No problem." She happily says. After ten seconds though, she speaks again. "So, when does your cycle start?"

Are you freaking serious?!

I poke her hard on a boob.

"Ow! Sorry!" She says between yelps and laughs.

 **Monday, April 17th/ After School.**

I have Room Duty today. Ms. Goodwitch explained that she didn't know I had track practice on tuesdays, so she re-assigned me to mondays. After everybody leaves and as I'm putting away my things, Velvet walks up to me. "Hey Ruby."

"Hey Velvet, how're you doing?"

"I'm okay, thanks for askin'." she then looks at the cabinet before turning back to me. "Do you want help with the cleanin' duty?"

"Sure, why not." I answer her.

Just like last week, Velvet and I split the number of desks in the room and diligently start our job. We end fairly quickly this time around, and we're putting all the cleaning stuff away when the door to the classroom opens. Velvet seems to stiffen up in place.

In front of the door is Blake. "Hey Blake! How are you?"

She looks at me in surprise. "Hey Ruby. I'm fine." she says before addressing the two of us with a calm stare when she speaks up. "Sorry, do you girls have any paper towels? My classroom's cabinet just ran out of them."

I look at Velvet, who is still crouched in front of the cabinet. She finds her voice and answers. "S-sure! Gimme one sec." She reaches her arm into the cabinet and pulls out a new roll of paper towels. "Here you go." She announces before standing up and walking towards the door to deliver the towels.

"Watch it, Velvet! There's a cha~" Velvet bangs her knee on a chair that was out of place, making her let go of the roll of paper. The roll bounces once in the floor before landing on Blake's feet, who then picks it up and takes around three or four towels.

"Um… Thanks." She simply says. "I hope your knee is okay." She says before turning to leave.

"Okay. Seeya soon, Blake!" I say to her just as she leaves.

Velvet remains frozen in place for ten seconds before deflating entirely. I could swear that I saw the twin dumb-hairs on top of her head also withered in defeat. I walk over to pick the paper roll and put it away inside the cabinet. Then I walk up next to her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes… no, not really." She takes a deep breath. "Gosh, that was a disaster."

I frown at her in confusion. "It was? I don't think that qualifies as a 'disaster.'" I tell her.

She grabs the chair that she tripped with and moves it back to its place. "Maybe, but it was still pretty bad." She bows her head even lower. "Damn, I'm such a klutz."

"Hey, that's not true. It was bad luck, is all."

"But that's what that second year girl must be thinkin' right now."

"That's not true." I repeat, earning me a dismissive look. "Look, yes it was a little embarrassing, but she didn't call you a klutz or anything. She thanked you and that was it. If it makes you feel better, I'm a bigger klutz than you are."

She snorts at this. "Yeah, right."

"No no no, seriously." I then start telling her of each time I got on Weiss' bad side since the first day I came in up until I confronted her the other day. Throughout my retelling, I notice Velvet becoming more and more deflated. Maybe not my best attempt at reassuring someone. "Okay, maybe she was actually mad, but things are sorted out now, so I put that behind me. This?" I blow a raspberry. "This could have turned out worse."

Velvet remained quiet, staring at the floor for almost a minute, before taking another deep breath. "You're right." She smiled an apologetic smile. "Sorry for freaking out on you."

"Don't apologize to me." I tell her while returning the smile. "Just laugh it up and move on."

"Very well." She looks at the rest of the classroom before shrugging off. "Guess we're done here."

I ride on the bus drive with Velvet, chatting about classes and stuff before she leaves on her stop.

 **Monday, April 17th/ Evening.**

When I get home, I sit down on my desk to look up sources for the research project when I get a call from Jaune. I pick up my phone and answer. "'Sup Jaune?"

" _Hey Ruby! Sorry for calling you so late, but I was thinking about looking up some stuff for our research paper. Maybe we can review what I find tomorrow after school or something like that._ "

"Sounds like a good plan! I was just looking up articles on the web about it. We can review that also tomorrow."

" _Right,"_ I hear Jaune say with a nervous laugh, " _the internet. You can find stuff there too... faster than going to the library… Heh heh."_

After sorting out the plan, he hangs up, leaving me to continue to research. Half an hour later, I get up from my bum and head down to watch TV and eat dinner.

After that, I go back to my room and hop onto my bed. Before turning the lights off though, I start to ponder. I have two Personas now and, well... me giving "goodnight" to everybody would get boring on the long run.

Screw it.

"Goodnight Mommy." I say to the portrait on my nightstand before looking at my Evoker. "Goodnight guys."

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 1.  
01\. The Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 1.  
02\. The Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 2 ( **Rank Up!** )  
11\. The Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 1.  
19\. The Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 2.


	15. Tu, 4-18

**Tu, 4/18**

 **Tuesday, April 18th/ Morning.**

I decide to take my laptop with me today so I can review the articles I've found online with Jaune after classes are over. I have to take some textbooks out of my handbag to make room for it, but I already read all the chapters assigned for this week, so I don't worry about it so much.

 **Tuesday, April 18th/ Lunch.**

As I walk to the cafeteria, I encounter Ren in the hallway, leaning on a wall. He nods at me once before turning his eyes to the floor. He has a pensive look, "Hey Ren! What's up?"

He seems to ponder something before getting off the wall and speaking. "I was thinking about the other day. I don't understand how you were capable of summoning a second Persona, nor why it happened. I figured I'd ask you what happened back then."

"Well… I haven't really put a lot of thought to it." I confess, "I simply felt another pressure in my head, and when I most needed it, Brunhilde was there. If she hadn't appeared, I'd have become a human-popsicle." I shiver as I remember the biting cold. "It was just like the first time I awoke to Fenrir, to be honest.

"As for why I have two Personas now… I can't say I understand it either…" I go back to those dreams I had. Igor and Victor appear to be knowledgeable about Persona. I wonder… "Ren, have you ever heard about the Velvet Room?"

His face remains stoic for several seconds, before he shakes his head. "Doesn't ring a bell. Why'd you ask?"

I tell him everything about the dreams I've had: The Velvet Room, its occupants and their connection to Persona. After I finish, he puts a fist on his chin and adopts that pensive look again. "Hmm, I've never seen a place like that before." He remains quiet for a second before shaking his head. "We should discuss that later though. Now we need focus on your training.

"Do you think you can go back to the Reflection this Saturday?"

"Yeah, sure." I answer him.

"Very well. I'll text you later on the week to give you more details." And with that he walks off.

I continue on my way to the cafeteria. I get myself a medium-sized bowl of mac and cheese, some salad and a red apple and look for a place to seat. I find Jaune, Velvet and, surprisingly, Nora with two other guys from my classroom, one with a buzzcut and other wearing glasses, sitting in a table and I join them for lunch. Jaune is discussing something about comic-books with the guys while Nora is talking with Velvet about trivial things; Velvet herself doesn't speak much, and is trying to make herself look small.

"Hey guys. What's up?" I call as I sit on the table across from Jaune.

"Hey Ruby!" Jaune greets me, while the boy with a buzzcut just nods and the glasses-wearing one looks back to his plate. There's an awkward silence on the table, safe for Nora who kept bombarding Velvet with words.

I decide to be the one who breaks the ice. "So… How are you guys doing? First year is the worst, huh?"

Nora trails off from her food trivia to address me. "Hey, First year is not all that bad. We're all first year, after all, and I at least am not _that_ bad."

"Um… What?"

"Nora, I think she meant to ask how is everyone doin' on the year so far." Velvet calmly explains to her.

Nora on her part, seems to have caught on this time. "Oh… It's been okay. I guess it could be worse, anyway."

"Yeah," buzzcut guy say, "wait till the year picks up speed though. Then you can start talking about it being too hard."

"Yeah, the worse thing so far are the teachers." The glasses guy says. "Professor Goodwitch? She needs to chill out, man. I bet she got dumped many times in her life and that's why she's so bitter."

"Yeah… she's a bit scary." Jaune agrees.

"Don't mention it." Velvet asks.

"Well at least your homeroom teacher has personality." Nora says. "Professor Peach is soooooooo boring that you could replace him with a cardboard cut-out!" This earns a laugh from everybody at the table, myself included.

"Well, not all teachers are all that bad. Professor Oobleck makes history interesting at least." Jaune comments.

Velvet makes a motion of sliding a pair of glasses up to her eyes as she speaks in a quick and high-pitched voice while holding back a giggle "I think you meant 'Doctor' Oobleck, Mr Arc."

We all laugh at this. Nora is basically rolling on the floor, while Velvet covers her face in embarrassment while failing to hold back her laughter.

After calming down, buzzcut speaks again. "Yeah, Oobleck is kinda cool. But what's up with that helmet?"

"Don't ask him about it." I quickly say. "I've heard he'll lecture you about Gladiators for hours if he catches you staring at it."

The boy seems to be disturbed by this as he glances at his friend. "We'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

"No problem." I tell him back.

After a while, Jaune says. "So Ruby, ready to work on the report today?"

"Yeah, I brought my computer too, so we can access the articles I told you about."

"Cool"

Velvet then turns at me "Wait Ruby, aren't you in the track team?" She asks.

"Uh, yeah. Why do you…" It suddenly clicks in, "Shoot! There is practice today!"

"Oh, man. I had forgot about that!" Jaune says with a concerned tone. "Ruby, if you have to go there, I~"

"No, I can't go to practice, I didn't bring my P.E. uniform. I'll have to skip practice anyway." Dang it! How could I have forgotten about it? "I-I have to clear this out."

I stand up from the table and look around the cafeteria, hoping to find Coach and excuse myself for today's practice. I can't see him anywhere. I then spot Sun a few tables away, so I walk to him and tap him in the shoulder. "Sun, I need your he~!" I trail off when he turns to look at me while holding a banana with his mouth, completely oblivious of how awkward it looks.

"Wha ish id?" He muffles through the mouthful as he bites the fruit off.

I pick up my brain and continue. "Sorry Sun, but can you excuse me to Coach? I can't go to practice today."

Sun swallows the mound of fruit before speaking again. "Sure, but Port will ask why, though." He explains expectantly.

"I… have something to deal with, and I forgot that practice was today. Will you tell him that I'm really sorry?" I ask pleadingly.

Sun shifts uncomfortably before nodding once. "Sure, I'll tell him. But be sure to come this thursday."

"Thanks, I will!" I give him a quick hug and walk back to my table, ignoring as best as I can the whoops and comments Sun's friends are giving to him. I should have thought that one through too.

After I sit back Jane asks. "Hey, sorry that you had to skip practice because of me."

"No, it is my fault. I had completely forgot about it." I smile at him. "Don't worry about it."

We all finish our lunch over small talk.

 **Tuesday, April 18th/ After School.**

I leave the classroom with Jaune and head to the school's library. Jaune starts gathering the books he picked yesterday while I set up my laptop and bring up the articles I found. After that, we start going through the materials we've gathered. Switching from the computer to the textbooks, we spent around fifteen minutes reviewing each of the texts and discarding books and articles that just aren't very helpful. Surprisingly, Jaune turns out to be really capable for discerning and comprehending the content of the reading materials. He picked by himself about twenty relevant articles for our research, and I barely had any say in the matter. I'm actually kinda impressed.

"S-see here?" He quickly says while pointing at a paragraph on one of the articles that I found while also resting a hand on an open page of a book. "This paragraph summarizes everything that says in this chapter. But the article completely misses several important points from the book. I think that the report would be more… um… what's the word, for when you use the most of the information?"

"'Thorough'?" I offer.

"Yeah, exactly. It'd be more thorough if we… well, I kinda already explained what I meant." He says while rubbing the back of his head.

"Jaune, I'm really impressed. You ate through the information almost on your own." I compliment, making him smile broadly.

"I know right? I thought that I'd be really lost with all this, but I guess I'm just very excited about this."

Okay… I'm lost here. "Sorry, what are you saying?"

"What?" He looks puzzled at me for a second before he caught on on what I mean. "Ah, I mean that… well, I'm just really looking forward to finishing this report. I really want us to get a perfect score. And I don't want to rely on you; I want to… earn it, y'know?"

"Well, I don't see why you couldn't. We're done for today after just fifteen minutes thanks to you, and you've had more initiative than I've had so far. I'm kind of embarrassed for that actually" I sheepishly admit.

"Yeah…" He trails off, looking at the small pile of books that got discarded before letting out a short laugh. "Guess it's been easier than I thought. Again though, I'm really liking our odds."

I smile at him before speaking again. "Well, just keep that enthusiasm up. I'm sure we'll pull it off."

"Yeah. Thanks again, Ruby."

After picking up after our stuff we say our goodbye's and I head for the bus stop.

 **Tuesday, April 18th/ Evening.**

Back home, I drop my stuff in my room and then head back down to the living room and watch a sci-fi with Yang, about a man in an asylum that claims to be from another planet, though his psychiatrist can't quite tell whether the man is crazy or is being honest. The plot is really confusing and boring, but it is enrapturing at the same time.

After that, we eat dinner while talking about school and other stuff. Yang has a funny story of her teacher tripping over his own chair and falling flat on his face. He was fine, albeit a bit flustered. After we're done and cleaned up, we all watch a little more tv before I turn in for the night.

"Good night Mom, good night guys."

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 1.  
01\. The Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 2 ( **Rank Up!** )  
02\. The Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 2.  
11\. The Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 1.  
19\. The Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 2.

* * *

 **A/N** : Howdy people! Missed me?

So… something I want to clarify about what happened in chapter "Su, 4/16" when Ruby summoned Brunhilde. That was the narrative equivalent of the "Shuffle Time," the game mechanic through which the "player" earns new Personas after defeating an enemy. However, when translating that from gameplay to narrative, it becomes extremely awkward.

"After defeating the group of enemies, Ruby saw floating before herself a bunch of cards with different images on it, and she felt the sudden urge to reach out to one of them."

Trust me, it wouldn't look good. So instead, Ruby's awakening of new Personas is triggered when she's in a pinch or when the situation demands it. This is similar to the way it happens in the "Persona 3" movie, except that in "Persona: SH" it depends entirely on the Ruby has forged.'

On a side note, the movie Ruby and Yang are watching at the end of the chapter is "K-Pax."


	16. We, 4-19

**We, 4/19**

 **Wednesday, April 19th/ Morning.**

This morning on the bus ride to MOS I tell Yang that I'll meet again with Ren this saturday. She remains quiet for a minute before saying that we need to come up with something to tell dad.

After arriving to the school, I go directly to my classroom and linger outside on the hallway for a while. Velvet and Jaune arrive a while later and start talking about homework and stuff. At one point, a mean looking second-year student with bluish-grey, straight hair and wearing a white and blue football jacket with a big white "M" embroidered on its chest-pocket walks up to us. "Be in the cafeteria at lunch today." He says before walking off and towards another group of freshmen. I look at Jaune and Velvet, who seem just as befuddled as I am.

"What was that all about?"

"I don't know," Jaune says, "but I'm both scared and intrigued."

"I'm just plain scared..." Velvet mutters.

"Guess we'll find out at lunch." I say.

 **Wednesday, April 19th/ Lunch.**

After the second period, every first year student walks directly to the cafeteria. Some with a little hesitance though, while others were animatedly talking about what might be happening. I on my part just tried to make my way to a chair without being run over by anyone. Once in the cafeteria, the same blue-haired guy and other guy wearing the same jacket directed us towards the tables. Little by little, all the chairs were filling up; Jaune and Velvet seated to each side and Weiss seated across from me. She nodded once before turning back to the entrance with curiosity. I also look at it.

Suddenly, a cheerleading squad wearing blue and white uniform run into the dining room and along the walls of the cafeteria, whooping and jumping and just making a lot of noise in general. Most of the guys, and even some of the girls, were immediately pumped up by this, and joined on the cheering and celebrating. After the cheerleading team finished coming through the door, several second and third-year students wearing the same blue and white jacket started flowing into the room, carrying many pizza boxes with them and started to hand them out onto the tables, which everybody started digging in. I get myself a small slice and take a bite from it as I keep looking at the spectacle. The pizza is good.

Suddenly, three jocks start running down the middle of the cafeteria, two of them carrying a pole each before stopping near the end of the room and propping the poles up and making an impromptu football goal. The cheers started up again, drawing everyone's attention to the doors where a tall student with burnt-orange hair combed backwards and holding a football in his hand. He smiles as he pumped a fist upward, eliciting more cheers from the people before he threw the ball across the cafeteria, over the makeshift goal and into his teammate's hands, who then did a victory dance in place. Everybody was euphoric, and it was hard not to keep myself from laughing and cheering along everybody else. Even Weiss looked somewhat excited, though she didn't touch the pizza.

The guy with the orange hair walks to stand on a table and starts speaking. "Everybody enjoying your pizza?" He was answered by an unanimous "yes." "Hah, I thought you would. Of course, pizza is not the only thing I'm bringing you this year. Oh no, your good friend Cardin is promising you more this year.

"As most of you may know, MOS has, for the last three years, held the champion title in the inter-school Football League. And this year will not be different. Yes, 'Montgomery's Dogs' have had some changes, what with our previous captain graduating last year." He says, looking somewhat solemn before grinning broadly again. "But I, _as the new team captain_ , don't plan on letting the title slip from our hands!" He shouts, causing all of the second and third-year students to cheer on.

"That's right! We'll show the competition why we've been the champions for three consecutive years!" He says throwing a fist to the air. "Let's show 'em that our team is the best. We've been training hard the last few weeks of the winter break and these first weeks, so you know we're being serious about winning.

"However, winning isn't only for the men in the field. It is also for our entire school!" He shouts again, waving his hand all around the cafeteria while the crowd erupted in more cheers. "So be sure to give us your support for when the season starts." Cardin says before directing another charismatic smile at his audience. "Now, enjoy the rest of your lunch." He finishes before hopping off the table and joining the rest of the football team while everybody kept hollering and cheering. I look to my classmates to gauge their reactions.

"Well… that was interesting."

"You can say that again." Jaune jokes. "Man, this was crazy. I think I'll look up some of the games online later today."

"I honestly don't know what to think of this." Weiss adds out of nowhere. "I mean… the school spirit is obviously present, but something about that guy's speech that sounded a bit off, in my opinion."

"He sure hyped everybody up." I point out, looking at the impromptu party around the dining room.

"He certainly did." She says before glancing back at the pizza box. "Though maybe he could have picked a more diverse menu for this little rally." She says as she stands up and heads over to the salad bar.

I note then, that this has been the longest, anger-free conversation I've had with Weiss. Yay me!

 **Wednesday, April 19th/ After School.**

As I make my way to the entrance, Jaune catches up to me. "Hey Ruby. You have team practice tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah." I answer, I'll have to apologize to Coach tomorrow too.

"Cool, just checking." He explains. "I'm really sorry you had to skip because of me. I hope you aren't in trouble."

"Well, honestly the worst he could do is make me work harder than usual." I reassure him.

"Yeah, probably." He says. We exit the school building and walk out of the gate, I can see Yang standing halfway to the bus stop "Well, I'll see you later."

"Bye Jaune." I say before turning and walking towards Yang. While we wait for the bus, we start talking.

"So, how was your day?"

"Meh, pretty dull. That pizza party was the best highlight." She says. "Funny, I didn't know that Winchester was considered as captain." She comments offhandedly.

The bus arrives and we get up on it.

 **Wednesday, April 19th/ Evening.**

At dinner, Dad starts talking. "Look girls, the kids that I'm teaching this past week told me that none of them could meet up on friday and asked me if I could reschedule for this saturday instead." He explains. "That's what one gets for having a flexible schedule. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be off that day, okay?"

"Understood." Yang says.

"Sure, no problem." I tell him.

After finishing and cleaning up, Yang and I go upstairs and meet in my room. "Well, that'll save us from coming up with an excuse."

"Honestly, I'm glad that we didn't have to. I really don't like having to lie to him." I explain to her. "Maybe I should talk with Ren about meeting when Dad is out of town."

"Well, he'd still ask what we did, but I guess 'staying home' is a better choice than having to improvise anything." Yang points out.

Well, that's encouraging…

"But don't worry too much." She quickly adds. "We'll figure this out. Just try not to get hurt back there." She says. "Well, night!"

"Goodnight Yang." I tell her as she leaves the room.

I get changed and browse the web for a while before climbing back to bed, booping Mom's picture and telling her my "goodnight" to her and "the guys."

* * *

 **A/N** : So a brief shout-out, in no particular order:  
To "ODST110," my proofreader and editor.  
And to "Kalin828," my story co-planner.  
Both of them have been helping me for a while, but I haven't given them the proper credit yet and I'm really sorry in that regard. Thanks a lot you guys!


	17. Th, 4-20

**Th, 4/20**

 **Thursday, April 20th/ Morning.**

The spirits are through the roof this morning. Everyone is excited about the upcoming football season. The first official match isn't until the next month, but yesterday's display has really rallied everyone up. Mostly, everybody was talking about the previous season, either having seen it in person or having watched it online. I was never a big fan of sports back in Patch; Mom and I only watched Wipe-Out and other funny shows like that from time to time, so I was never really into any of those big sports games. But I have to admit, if it is really this fun, I'll give it a chance.

After the first period starts, the school PA system chimes once and a young, energetic man with a Western-Mistral accent speaks through. " _Good morning lads! The Student Council would like to remind everyone that any recreational event that takes place in the installations of the school have to be submitted to and approved by the Student Council. Thank you very much._ " The speaker goes silent as Ms. Goodwitch enters the room.

Class is disperse today.

 **Thursday, April 20th/ After School.**

Track Practice.

I change into my uniform and run to the track field. I immediately walk up to Coach Port, who keeps his eyes glued on his clipboard even as I start speaking to him. "Coach, I'm really sorry for missing practice last tuesday. I got caught up on this project and I forgot. I'm really sorry."

"Relax, Miss Rose." He says without taking his gaze from the clipboard. "It is the beginning of the year and this was your first offense. I won't kick anyone from the team for something this light." He scratches something from his clipboard before looking at me. "However, I would appreciate it if this doesn't become a habit. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Excellent! Now, join your team on the benches and wait for your turn as usual." He says before he starts giving instructions to the boys.

Practice is intense today, working out twice as hard than usual. As we all finish, I'm out of breath and the guys are still recovering from their training. I sway back to the bench and grab a towel to dry myself up. Sun walks up to me and hands me a bottle of water. I smile at him as I open it. "Well, aren't you attentive? People are going to start thinking you have something for me." I joke.

"Meh, let them think whatever they want. But actually, Coach put me on water duty today." He says motioning to the bottles cradled on his arms. "I'll hand out the rest of them in a sec. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to hang out," I give him a coy look, "as friends." he adds.

I laugh a bit at him. "Sure. Just for a while though." I say.

He walks off and I take a big swig of water. After I finish, I head for the showers to wash some sweat and then change into a grey workout suit. When I'm finished, I type a message to Yang before meeting with Sun and heading out to the town. He buys an orange slushie and a milkshake from the juice-bar and we sit on the outside.

"So, did Coach roast you or something?" Sun asks. "Because he sure didn't look happy the other day when I told him."

I look at him with confusion. "No, he seemed fine to me. He did ask me not to let it happen again without a good reason."

"I see…" He says before taking a sip from his slushy.

"Wait, did he say anything to you?" I ask, feeling concerned.

"No, he was just… not happy." He says. "Guess he woke up with the wrong side of the bed that morning or something." He says off handedly.

"Sun?" I look at him in the eye, making clear that I'm not buying that.

He gulps some of his drink before talking again. "Okay, maybe Coach has something of a 'reason' to not trust me." He explains, making air-quotes with his hands.

"What? Why?"

"Who cares?" He calmly says. "Really, if he wants to have an attitude with me, that's his problem, not mine."

I frown at this. "Maybe, but that doesn't make it right!"

"Ruby," He interrupts, "seriously, I don't mind it at all. In fact, I'm used to it at this point. He hasn't given me any grime because of that. I am still on the team, having a great time and getting some work done, so I'm good." He finishes with a smile and a chug from his cup.

I keep staring at him for a good few seconds. I don't understand why Coach mistrusts Sun that much, but if he says it doesn't concern him, then I guess I shouldn't be concerned. "Okay." I simply say before sipping the last of my milkshake in one go.

It was too much! Brainfreeze!

Sun burst out laughing and soon after I join him. We talk more about practice before he says his goodbye and leaves for his home. I head back home.

 **Thursday, April 20th/ Evening.**

When I get back, it's almost six o'clock. After dropping my stuff in my room, I head down to watch some TV with Yang and Dad. At dinner, Yang asks me in a sing-song tone: "So Ruby, how was your day?"

"Um… it was fine?" I answer cautiously. Dad is eyeing both of us with curiosity.

"Just 'fine'?" She asks again, wearing a coy smile.

"Yang, what are you going on about?"

"Oh nothing. Just that a little bird told me you hung out with a cute boy this afternoon."

Oh my god. Seriously?!

I stare at Yang, then I stare Dad. He glances at me and then Yang. Yang has a stupid grin on her face.

I have to say something. Brain, say something!

"Yes, but only as friends! He said it himself." Good one brain. I decide to elaborate a bit more. "We're both on the track team. Practice was hell today so he invited me to have a milkshake with him." I say while looking at both of them. Dad slowly lets out a breath, while Yang looks mildly disappointed.

"Oh well, you'll get one one day." She says as she looks back to her dinner. Dad is just pretending he didn't hear anything. I decide to do the same thing… for now at least.

Seriously, where did that come from?

After cleaning up, I stay in the living room reading a book for about half an hour before turning in."Goodnight Mom." I say to the portrait on my nightstand before looking towards my wrist. "Goodnight guys."

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 1.  
01\. The Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 2.  
02\. The Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 2.  
11\. The Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 1.  
19\. The Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 3 (Rank Up!)


	18. Fr, 4-21

**Fr, 4/21**

 **Friday, April 21th/ Morning.**

On our way to school, Yang asks. "Hey do you have any plans later today?"

"Not exactly. Do you have something in mind?" I ask her back with curiosity.

"Kinda." She says before explaining. "I need you to stay away from home until six. Maybe you could hang out somewhere with your friends?"

"Okay. I'll see what I can do." I tell her.

I wonder what she's planning.

 **Friday, April 21th/ After School.**

After classes end, I meet with Jaune and Velvet in the hallway. "Hey guys. Wanna hang out or something?"

"Hey guys!" Somebody asks behind my back, making me jump with a start.

When I turn around, Nora is standing right there smiling broadly. "Nora, don't do that. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

She laughs a little. "Sorry, I thought it would be funny."

"It kinda was though." Jaune says, holding back a chuckle. Velvet seemed mildly surprised, but was also smiling.

I roll my eyes and smile at Nora. "Okay, it was a bit funny." I admit.

"So, I heard that you're gonna hang out." Nora asks again.

"Yeah, we were just about to see where should we go," Velvet explains, "want to join us?"

"Of course I do!" Nora practically cheers at this. "In fact, I know just the place we can go." And with that, she starts down the hallway, with everybody else following closely.

Nora guides us to the food fair in town, but doesn't stop at any of the locales. We're nearing the end of the street when she suddenly takes a turn to the right and walks up to a food stand decorated with a red and yellow canopy. A bamboo banner was hanging from the side of the stand depicting a cartoon octopus.

" _Faibu takoyaki, kudasai_." I hear Nora say as she talks to the man behind the stand. I peek over her shoulder to see him produce five paper trays in his counter, before moving to a griddle where he had several ball-shaped… "things" being cooked. The man flips the balls on the tray before flinging eight balls onto each paper trays, where he then poured a brown sauce on top of them and adding a thick toothpick on each dish. He handed three of the trays to Jaune, Velvet and myself as Nora payed for the food, before she took the other two dishes. We all go to sit on the benches near the food-stand and stare at the ball-shaped snack.

"So… what is this supposed to be?" Jaune asks warily. I can't say I'm not concerned either.

"Shut up and eat." Nora simply says before pinching one of the balls in her tray and eating it whole, a expression of bliss forming on her face.

"Mmm! It is really good, you guys have to try it!" Velvet mumbles, having taking a bite from one of the balls, before shoving the rest on her mouth.

I grab the toothpick and skewer one of the balls before taking a bite from it.

It is the most delicious thing I have ever tasted in my life!

It is sweet, bitter, soft and chewy at the same time! I find myself hungrily devouring the treat, enjoying each bite thoroughly. "Nora, this stuff is amazing!" I say between bites. So good…

"That's right, the best takoyaki you will find in Vale." She proudly claims, becoming quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Well, the only takoyaki you can find in Vale. Which is still pretty great!"

"You can say that again." Says Jaune, who was barely swallowing his own takoyaki before eating the next. After each finishes their own tray, Nora brings the fifth one and divides the dish between the four, so we all get two more takoyaki each. After finishing eating, Jaune and Velvet excuse themselves before heading to their own way.

It is still really early, so I decide to hang out with Nora for a bit longer. We walk back to the main food court. "Let me buy you a soda." I offer as thanks. "It's the least I can do after treating us."

"Meh, it was nothing." Nora waves off with a smirk. "Say, you moved in three weeks ago, right?" Nora ask all of the sudden.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I didn't. Lucky guess!" She says offhandedly. I get us the sodas and give one to Nora as we sit on a table. "So? Why did you move?" She asks.

I'm slightly wary about that question, and with good reason. "I… would rather not talk about it." I answer.

"Why not? Is it bad?" She asks with just the smallest of frowns in her face.

I look at her for a few seconds, trying to figure this girl out. I can only see honest curiosity in her question.

I guess sharing this with someone else can't hurt.

"I had to move… because my mom passed away." I explain. "My dad and sister live here, so I moved to Vale. There's really nothing else to it."

"Oh…" Nora says, seeing the frown deepening a lot more. There was a long silence before she smiled a bit and started again. "It'll get better."

I smile lopsidedly. "Yeah, that's what I've heard."

"No, it'll really get better. I know it." She says before explaining. "Mom and dad died six years ago." I gasp at this. "And I was very sad back then. But now, I'm all better!" She claims happily. "I had help from a bunch of friends too. You have friends too, so we can all help. So trust me, It'll get better."

I am shocked. I barely know Nora ever since arriving to Vale, and she barely knows me. She didn't hesitate to tell me about her parents, while I wanted to keep things to myself. And she did it to show that I have her support. That is admirable. I can't help but to smile back at her.

 **I am Thou, Thou art I  
Thou hast established a new bond**

 **It brings thee closer to the Truth**

 **Thou shalt be blessed  
When creating Personas of the ****Star Arcana** **.**

Her brow then furrows as she looks to the side embarrassed. She then looks back at me and says. "Um… what's your name?"

I let out a laugh, which she joins soon after. "I'm Ruby."

We laugh for a little while more before she bids a "seeya later." It is still relatively early, so I decide to wander around town for a little while.

As I'm about to round the corner where the Takoyaki Stand is, a flash of light comes from my right. I look over and do a double-take. On the corner of the building, which I recall being a bare wall just a few minutes ago, was a carved-wood door, with blue paint and golden details. What was most surprising was its ethereal glow. A person walks in front of it, heedless of the unusual gateway that I'm positive just appeared in that place.

I feel something in the pouch of my hoodie. I pull the item out, finding the same blue-steel key I saw in my dreams.

No, not a dream.

I walk towards the door and put the key on the keyhole.

Everything is consumed by light.

"Welcome, to the Velvet Room."

When my sight clears up, I'm sitting on the same train car I've found myself many times now. Igor is sitting across from me and Victor is standing by his side.

"I had faith you'd find your way back to this place." Igor says through his crooked smile. "Ah, and the timing couldn't be better. I believe that you have acquired a new Persona since the last time you visited."

Igor lets the words float in the air, so I dare to ask the question that has been gnawing at the back of my mind. "Why do I have another Persona? How did I awaken another one?"

Igor simply smirks before speaking again. "The Power of Persona is the Power to face life's hardships. Think of it as a _facade_. When facing an obstacle in life, humans can adopt this mask to protect themselves. However, your power is most peculiar.

"You hold the Power of the Wild Card. By connecting your heart with the hearts of others, they'll reflect into your soul and awaken within you in the form of new Personas. Thus, you have the power to hold multiple Personas at the same time. A gift, that only a few can manifest.

"Which brings me to the nature of my job. My duty is to help our guests through the process of unveiling the many faces that lie in the Sea of their Soul."

Igor then looks at Victor, who nodded before presenting a large book. "The tome I'm holding is the Persona Compendium. It is my duty to register in it the Personas you hold at your disposal."

Igor then looks up at me with his bulgy eyes. "By taking two or more Personas, I can give birth to new Personas for you to use. This process is called Persona Fusion." I frown at this, prompting a chuckle on Igor. "Of course, the Personas used in the Fusion are not lost to you. You may recall them at any moment.

"Now…" He starts with a sweep of his hand, making two cards appear on the table. Images of Fenrir and Brunhilde are printed on both cards. "You currently hold two Personas only, so the choice is very simple: Would you like to fuse these two Personas?"

I look at the cards for a few seconds nodding once.

With a smile, Igor motioned his hand to the cards, which started floating and dancing around each other, before the two flew straight up the ceiling. In a blinding flash, the cards collide with each other, producing a new figure in the room.

It was a cat with indigo fur and green eyes, standing up straight on its hindlegs. He was wearing a red feathered hat, a red and black cape and red leather boots, and was wielding a musketeer's sword with one of his paws.

 _I am thou, and thou art I. You've invested your trust in me, and Cait Sith will not let you down._

Cait Sith becomes a card and floats back down with the other two before vanishing away.

"I believe that should be enough for now." Igor announced before slowly waving his hand. "Until you're ready to visit again."

Light consumes the inside of the train car. A second after, I'm back on the sidewalk with the blue door in front of me.

It is five-fifty. I head for the bus stop.

 **Friday, April 21th/ Evening.**

After returning home, I go upstairs and drop my things on my desk. When I head to get out of my room, Yang is right there in front of the door. "Helloooo~!" She sings as she pushes me back to my room.

"Hey, what the heck?" I protest.

"Get in your 'jammies." She says excitedly. I'm noticing now that she's wearing pajamas at that moment. "Then go meet me in the backyard."

We have a backyard?

She disappears down the hallway before I could ask her anything else. Without wanting to question the odd instructions, I change to my own pajamas and a pair of cozy boots, and manage my way into the backyard. The space of land behind the house is fairly big, the entirety of the soil was covered in grass and a large tree growing in the far left corner. The yard is surrounded by a tall fence, and with the setting sun it is becoming harder and harder to make out any other detail.

However, I still could see the object in the center of the yard, lightened by a camping lamp. A piece of rope was tied between the tree and the house, supporting a makeshift tent. Yang was standing on the far side of the tent, making sure that the cloth was securely nailed to the ground. I stare at the whole thing a few seconds before she notices me.

"Hey Ruby. What do you think?"

"Are we gonna camp tonight?" I ask, failing to hide my excitement. Living in the city, there weren't many places where people could go for camping, but it has always been a dream to go camping one day.

"Yep! I thought of having a sleepover or something like that, and I figured that camping out would be a good idea." She comments as she walks around the tent. "So, are you excited?"

Oh, I am. "Yeah!"

"You girls have fun." Calls dad from the kitchen window. "I'll just stay here and eat my vegetarian pizza and watch the game, okay?" He says before retreating back in. I then look and give Yang a knowing look.

"You ordered the Pizza, didn't you?"

"Yep." She says with a smirk before motioning to the tent. "Come on, let's go inside." She says as she crouches and enters the tent. I follow right behind.

A workout mattress has been laid down on the floor, above which were a pair of pillows and covers on one side and on the other were several bags of chips and cookies, a huge bowl of popcorn, a cooler with two bottles of soda, a box of doughnuts, and a pan with what appeared to be already-roasted marshmallows, next to a tray full of crackers.

"Dad wouldn't let me light a campfire, so I made S'mores Dip instead." She says, picking one cracker and scooping a serving of marshmallow and molten-chocolate-goodness. I dive in without a second thought.

We spend several hours eating, talking and playing board and card games. I'm not good at the latter.

"Aaaaaand I win again!" She says, doing a victory dance, unaware of the river of tears falling down my face.

"Why you must do this to me…" I whine. Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit. "This game sucks."

"Don't blame the game, blame the player." Yang says cockily as she starts picking up all the bags of chips and putting them in a plastic bag; the pan with the s'mores dip was sealed in another bag. "Man, I've never had this much fun in years. I missed this." She says wistfully, something that doesn't escapes me.

"You and mom used to camp out back then?" I ask, catching her off guard.

"Yeah. She and I… and you too later on, used to spend weekend nights like this. playing games, eating junk food… we mostly stayed inside the house, but from time to time, she'd sent up the tent and we'd spend the night outside."

I don't recall ever camping out with Yang or Mom before. "That must've been really long ago."

"Yeah, it was…" She says as she lays down on the mattress and pulled a cover over her legs. "Can I ask you something?"

I lay down next to her before answering. "Yeah?"

"How was she, later on?" She props her head with one hand as she turns to look at me. "Was she still a super-mom even then?"

I remain silent for a second before starting. "Well, she always made sure that I was doing great in school, and she'd even give me pop-quizes sometimes." I laugh at Yang's surprised look. "But she also made time to just have fun the two of us. We never went camping, but we'd always find a way to have a good time." I say, turning to look at the tent's "ceiling."

"I miss her too." Yang says.

We spend a few minutes in comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of crickets, frogs and a random owl. Suddenly, Yang shifts back up. "So, excited about your date tomorrow?"

I feel an eye twitching.

"Ugh, again with that?" I ask her incredulously. "Last week you made the same joke, and yesterday you made that awkward question about Sun and I." I frown at her. "What's up with you and my romantic life?"

Yang simply shrugs before plopping back down. "I dunno. I guess I just want to give you support or something like that. That's what big sisters do, right?"

"Well, yeah. But what sisters don't do is talk about that kind of stuff _in front of their dad_." I point out.

"Yyyyeeaaaah. Not my brightest moment, I'll admit." She says while shifting again to her side. "Seriously though, you don't have any crush like, at all?"

"Really, sis, I haven't thought a lot about getting a boyfriend like… ever!" I say with an eye-roll.

"What about a girlfriend?" She asks with a smirk. I simply stare at her with a deadpan expression. "Okay, no 'SO' right now. Got it." She lays down once again. "You'll tell me if you find someone, won't you?"

"Sure, why wouldn't I tell you?" I ask her back.

"Just checking." She says before rolling away and pulling the covers all the way to her. "Goodnight Rubes."

"Goodnight, Yang." I call her back as I shift on my pillow to get more comfortable drowning a huge yawn. Sleep comes quickly.

* * *

 _Ruby Rose has forged the_ _Nora Valkyrie_ _Social Link of the_ _Star Arcana_

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 1.  
01\. The Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 2.  
02\. The Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 2.  
11\. The Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 2 ( **Rank Up!** )  
17\. The Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1 ( **Initiated!** )  
19\. The Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 3.


	19. Sa, 4-22

**Sa, 4/22**

 **Saturday, April 22nd/ Morning.**

The sound of birds singing is more noticeable in the backyard than in my room, making me slowly wake up. The first thing I register is something warm on my side, so I crack one eye open to see what it is…

I get a faceful of boob.

Yang had shifted over during the night and is cuddling me like a stuffed bear, and my head is currently half buried in her chest. I fight down the embarrassment and try to wiggle my way out of Yang's arms. She isn't letting go at all. In fact, I think she's actually hugging me tighter, pushing my face further into her breasts.

"Mphng!" I try to call out, but my voice is muffled, and Yang apparently is a heavy sleeper. I had to do something to wake her up before she smothers me… preferably nothing overly embarrassing.

I reach with one free arm to the back of her head and tug at her hair. She immediately lets out a yelp and pushes me away from her. I take a deep breath as I try to push down the furious blush I'm getting. "Wha- what happened?" Yang asks, clearly still half-asleep.

I give her a level stare and simply explain exactly what was going on. Yang's eyes widen before she looks down at her chest.

"Oh…"

"Next time, we get sleeping bags." I state.

After agreeing to forget that small incident, we pick up the trash bags and head inside of the house. Dad has already left for his lesson, so we have the house for ourselves. Most of the day anyway, since I'll be meeting Ren later for some more training.

As Yang takes care of the trash and washing the pan, I go look for my phone. There's a message in it from just five minutes ago.

 _REN: Everything is set to go today. Same entry point. When do you want to meet?_

"Hey Yang, are we good to go in thirty minutes?" I ask Yang from the living room. "Ren's asking when we can meet."

"Make it fifty minutes." She answers. "I reckon both of us want to take a shower before leaving."

Good point.

I type a quick reply and hit send. Then I head to the bathroom to get cleaned before getting dressed. It's really warm today, so maybe putting my hood on wouldn't be such a good idea, but then I'd have no place to conceal my weapon. I then devise putting the spear halves in the back belt-loops of my jeans and then tying the hoodie around my waist.

I wait in the living room for Yang to get ready. Once she comes downstairs, we walk towards the house garage and get on her bike and ride towards town.

 **Saturday, April 22nd/ Daytime.**

Yang parks her bike on a special bike parking spot in town about ten, and the two of us walk towards the clothes store. I take a glance at the corner on the food court and see that the room to the Velvet Room is still there. I don't feel the need to go in again for now, so I focus my gaze forwards.

"So, where are you guys meeting?" Yang asks suddenly.

"The same mirror in Adel's." I tell her. "We haven't had any problems with that doorway so far." I point out.

"Hmm… That is true. But didn't he mention he had another entry point the other day? What's up with that?"

"Honestly, I'd forgotten about it." I admit. "I'll ask him about it today."

When we get to Adel's, I look at Yang with hesitation. She quickly picks up on it and says. "I'll just keep an eye on people so that you can sneak in. Don't worry." She smiles at me. "Text me when you're done and we'll meet at Burger Shogun."

"Okay." I answer as we both enter the boutique. Yang heads over to one of the stores clerks and starts asking her for advice. I calmly make a beeline towards the changing room and walk through the vanity mirror.

 **Saturday, April 22nd/** **Reflection** **.**

Ren is waiting outside the store, carrying the Shadow Radar on one hand. He nods once as I approach him.

"'Sup Ren?" I greet him with a nod of my own.

"I'm good." He simply says. "Had any trouble coming in?"

"Nope. Dad's busy today and Yang helped me sneak through just now. By the way, I was wondering, what was the 'entry point' you used that other day?" I ask him.

He raises an eyebrow before answering. "I live within the range of the Reflection. I've been using the doorway in there to explore this world. After you've started training, I figured this one could work as a common ground." He raises his shoulders. "Is that what you wanted to know?"

"Yeah. I was only curious, that's all." I tell him. He starts walking down the street, and I follow close behind as I deploy my spear. "Where are we going today?" I ask him, noticing we're not going to the park.

"We'll go to the plaza where flower shop is. There are usually some lingering Shadows, but it is a small place, so there won't be as many Shadows as there was in the park." He explains calmly before adding. "I want to try a theory I have."

"Okay." I say.

After a short walk, we arrive to a small plaza. It is located in a tiered depression on the land, that one can reach walking down a set of stairs in both the north and south ends of the square plaza. On the far end of it, I can see a small flower shop right besides the second staircase. Several picnic tables were scattered around the edges of the area, along with four small gardens on each corner and a large water fountain adorning the middle of the plaza.

Considering what I came here for, this place kinda resembles an arena.

"This place is perfect." Ren suddenly says. "It'll allow me to directly observe the battle, and I can warn you faster if a Shadow tries to sneak up on you. In many ways, it is a safer training alternative."

I ponder on it for a second. It'd be indeed safer, at least until I can fare better against Shadows. "Good thinking. So do I get started?" I ask. I notice a few Shadows emerging from between the tiles on the plaza.

"Go ahead." He hands me the earpiece and heads over to one of the tables to begin setting up the radar. I walk down to the center of the plaza and ready my spear. The Shadows emerging from the floor transform into more of those blob-shadows, along with a new one that looks like a floating tiara with long, dirty black hair attached to it and wearing a butterfly mask with the numeral "II" under the left eye-slit.

The tiara lunges a fireball at me, which connects on my chest but has no lasting damage. I glare at the Shadow and summon Fenrir, who releases a gust of wind under all the shadows. Half of the blobs are knocked down while the other just disappear in a burst of smoke, but the Tiara only seems to reel back a little.

/ _Rose, wind doesn't seem to work against that that one._ / I hear Ren through the radio as I dodge another fireball after killing the last of the blobs.

"Well, I'll try something different then!" I say as I swipe a finger over my evoker.

" _BRUNHILDE!_ "

In an explosion of crystal shards, Brunhilde fades into existence. Her eyes flicker with a white light as her horse neighs at the Shadow, which becomes immediately encased in ice, shattering in a million pieces as it falls to the ground.

/ _What?! Rose, is that your new Persona?_ / Ren asks. I turn to look where he's standing and find him staring at Brunhilde as she begins fading away.

"Yeah! Pretty cool, huh?" I ask him with a slight smirk.

He plays around with the console before speaking again. / _I've compared the data of your two Personas. It seems that not only have they different powers, but their resistances also differ from each other. That is interesting._ / He mutters to himself before looking up. / _Be ready, there are more coming._ /

I look around to see more of the same type of Shadows approaching me. I take down the tiara first before changing back to Fenrir and eliminating the small blobs.

Several waves keep coming until a larger Shadow makes its appearance. This one is a floating snake, with bright purple scales; its body is entangled in a metallic female sign, which in turn was entangled to a metallic male sign -subtle- and it has a round, red mask nailed on top of its head. The moment it appears, it unhinges its jaw and exhales a cloud of green air that makes me feel nauseous all of the sudden.

I shake it off and focus on the Shadow. " _FENRIR!_ " a green tornado surrounds the snake, but it has no visible effect. It then lashes out, intent on biting me with its fangs, but I manage to dodge out of the way in time.

/ _Rose, be careful. That gas made you more vulnerable. You can't let it bite you!_ /

I back away from the Shadow, trying to put as much distance from it as I can. " _PERSONA!_ " I summon Brunhilde, who unleashes a blizzard at the Shadow, to no effect. It lashes out again, and I don't think I'll be able to dodge this time.

On instinct, I swipe a finger on the silver token a second before the snake bites my arm my arm. The fangs slide harmlessly on my skin, and the snake's momentum makes it crash its head on the ground, before it slithers away, eyeing me with caution.

I smirk at the Shadow while letting the blue aura cover my arm before clenching my fist. " _PERSONA!_ " Cait Sith appears in the floor, hissing at the snake before it lunged towards it, stabbing it multiple times with his sword. The Shadow bleeds profusely from its wounds before evaporating into thin air. Caith Sith turns around in mid-air and gives me a flourish before vanishing.

/ _Rose, can you come over here?_ / Ren asks me through the earpiece, so I quickly make my way to meet him.

Once I'm next to him, he starts. "How did you awake that Persona?" He asks, glancing from the console to me.

"I had it since yesterday, actually." I confess, which earned me a confused stare from him. "I… forgot to tell you; yesterday I found the Velvet Room again. The man there did… something that let me awake to Cait. Sorry for not telling you." I explain, scratching the back of my head.

Ren remains quiet for a few seconds before he starts speaking again. "Then this still kind of proves my theory." He announces before adding. "I had figured that the reason you awakened another Persona last week was because you were in fatal danger. If you were to be in actual danger, then you'd have awaken to another one."

"That's a dark thought." I mutter to myself.

"Well, I don't think it matters for the moment. What's important is that this gives you an edge in battle." He says before turning off the radar. "I figure we can call it a day."

"Yeah." I agree.

We make our way back to the boutique and leave the Reflection.

Once outside, I text Yang and head towards Burger Shogun. She arrives shortly after and we get something to eat. "So, had fun?" She asks.

"You could say so. I got to kill a horny snake." I tell her, making her spit some of her soda.

"A what?!" She says between coughs and hacks.

"It was a giant snake, with sex signs hanging from it." I describe to her, fighting back a chuckle.

"Huh… I thought you meant a dick." Now it's my turn to spit take. Yang doesn't bother to hide her amusement. "Seriously though, are you doing okay over there?" She asks before taking a bite of her burger.

"Yeah. It is sorta difficult, but I'm getting better." I pause for a moment before asking. "And what about you? What did you do?"

"Meh, killing time mostly." She simply says. She looks at me as though she wants to says something else, but remains quiet.

We finish our lunch in silence before getting back on Yang's bike and driving home.

 **Saturday, April 22nd/ Evening.**

Dad is not returning until late in the night, so Yang and I make sandwiches for dinner. We then sit on the living room watching a badly dubbed kung fu movie until late in the evening when Dad gets back. We all say our goodnights before eachs heads to their room.

After changing back and giving my second set of goodnights, I pass out in bed.

* * *

Arcana Analysis:  
 **Cait Sith (Star)** :  
Resists: Strike  
Blocks: Slash, Pierce.  
Weak: Elec.  
Skills: Double Fangs, Torrent Shot, Marin Karin, Posumudi, Poison Skewer.

 **Grieving Tiara (Priestess)** :  
Blocks: Fire, Wind.  
Weak: Ice.  
Skills: Agi, Strike Attack, Agilao, Maragi.  
 **Immoral Snake (Lovers)** :  
Blocks: Wind, Ice.  
Weak: Pierce, Light, Dark.  
Skills: Poison Fang, Tentarafoo, Foul Breath, Marin Karin.

* * *

A/N: I've edited chapter 13 (Su, 4-16), adding the fact that Fenrir learned the skill "Magaru" (multi-hit, wind attack). There's no need to reread the chapter, since it doesn't affect the rest of the narrative.


	20. Su, 4-23

**Su, 4/23**

 **Sunday, April 23rd/ Morning.**

There's a light drizzle falling today, so it is extra warm and muggy in the morning. I don't have anything planned for today, so I'll just stay home for the day. Nobody else is awake by eight-thirty AM and I can't fall back asleep, so I make my way to the first floor and watch tv with the volume low. I'm eating a bowl of Pumpkin Pete's in the living room watching cartoons when Yang comes down around ten. "Morning." I call to her.

"Morning." She calls back before walking into the kitchen. I hear a lot of clanking and other kitchen sounds before Yang walks back out with a plate and a grilled cheese sandwich and sits in the couch next to me. At that moment, I catch the particular scent of jalapeños coming from the sandwich.

"What was all that noise?" I ask her before eating a spoonful of cereal.

"I'm making my enchiladas for lunch today. I was setting everything up. We'll be eating late though." She explains.

"Cool. Want any help?"

"No thanks. Maybe next time." She says with a wink. "And don't worry, these never get too spicy."

I glance back at her jalapeño sandwich. Could her taste buds have gone numb? I shrug that thought off before giving her a knowing smile. "If you say so."

After finishing breakfast, Yang starts working again in the kitchen. I have homework to do, so I change out of my pajamas before sitting to work on that in the living room.

 **Sunday, April 23rd/ Daytime.**

Dad woke up nearly after noon, and after checking on us and having a "light" breakfast, he sat in the living room and began watching a football game. Around three, Yang comes out of the kitchen drying her hands with a towel. "Food is in the oven. It's gonna take another hour for it to be ready." She announces as she plops on one of the couches.

"I hope so, I'm starving." Dad jokes. Earning a crossed look from Yang.

I snort. Never a dull moment here.

Suddenly, a Breaking News report pops up on the tv, drawing everyone's attention to it.

"Breaking News in Downtown Vale:" The anchorwoman begins. "Today at two-thirty pm, a young man attempted to shoot down the owner of the local bookstore, 'Tukson's Book Trade.'" The woman says. I am stunned by this, and if the faces of Dad and Yang are any indication, so are they. "However, in an impressive turn of events, Tukson Leon, the store's owner, managed to out-maneuver his would-be assailant and take away his gun, thwarting what would have been a tragedy. Cyril Ian is on site with more news.

The screen cuts from the newsroom to a street in front of a bookstore, where several people and policemen were gathered. A man with short, navy-blue hair holding a microphone was in the front of the shot.

"Thank you, Lisa. According to Mr. Leon and eyewitnesses, the suspect entered the bookstore around two-thirty in the afternoon and walked straight up to the counter, addressing Mr. Leon in a threateningly manner. Witnesses described the man as disheveled and unstable, threatening Mr. Leon and making nonsensical claims. When Leon asked the man to calm down, he drew a gun and pointed it at the store's owner. Immediately after, Mr. Leon in swift action disarmed the man in matter of seconds. The suspect then ran away from the store before anyone could call the authorities. The VCPD is currently in the search of this man.

"During an exclusive interview with Tukson Leon, telling us the course of these events, he gave this declaration." The screen cuts back to a recorded footage of a man with black hair and thick sideburns. He looked incredibly perturbed.

"I just don't know what could have pushed this man to try to do such a thing." The man who I assume is Tukson says, before cutting back to the live broadcast.

"The VCPD informs us that this incident will be attended with the utmost haste, just as they've been doing throughout the entire year. They've also disclaimed the connection of this attack with the previous Acts of Violence; furthermore, since the _modus operandi_ and aftermath of this attack differs greatly from the strange phenomena that has been occurring in this area of the city. We'll be informing you of any new developments on this case. Back to you, Lisa."

"Thanks, Cyril. Our social-media feed is receiving several manifestations of discomfort and uneasiness about what would have been the second tragedy in this month. However~"

The tv turns off. I look to Dad to see if he was holding the remote, but it was Yang who turned off the tv. She looks kinda sick.

"Yang?"

"It's okay. I just really don't like this kind of stuff." Yang says almost too quickly.

"You sure you're okay, Sunshine?" Dad says, putting a hand on Yang's shoulder, which she squeezes before taking a deep breath.

"Yeah. It is nothing, really. I'm just shocked, that's all." She says before shaking her head. "Say, let's check on the food now." She says before getting up and walking to the kitchen. The enchiladas are not quite ready yet, so we kill some time playing Bogle. Apparently, neither Yang or Dad are very good at it, so I basically wipe the floor with them.

After finishing the game and throughout lunch, the heavy atmosphere has disappeared, so we all conform with enjoying Yang's enchiladas.

Luckily for me, this time the food's not that spicy.

 **Sunday, April 23rd/ Evening.**

After lunch, we all gather on the living room to watch this silly game show. I only half watch it though, instead opting to read a book in one of the couches and listening to Dad and Yang trying to guess the answers to the show's questions.

After an hour and a half, we all have sandwiches for dinner. At that time, Dad starts. "I'm going tomorrow to the back to deposit some checks. I should be done by noon, so you don't have to worry." He takes a bite from his sandwich before continuing. "I also wanted to ask you to be more careful if you're going to the town. I trust you two won't get in trouble on purpose, but with what's been happening lately… I just want to know you'll be safe."

"Sure, no problem." I say, to which Yang agrees.

Dad nods once before continuing eating. After dinner, he goes back to his room while we both head upstairs. Before turning to enter my room though, Yang pulls me to hers. She has this look on her face, so I comply. Once inside, she starts. "Do you think what happened today has something to do with… y'know?"

I frown a bit at this. "Well, you heard the reporter guy, this was completely different from the other Acts of Violence. First, the man used a gun, while people possessed by Shadows don't use weapons at all according to what Ren told us. Also, he said that possessed people just kind of sleep-walk, and the reports say that this man was _somewhat_ aware." I point out. "I'm not sure this had anything to do with the Reflection."

Yang crosses her arms and has a thoughtful expression. "Maybe you're right. We should talk this over with Ren." She shakes her head before continuing. "But that's not what worries me. You remember what he said that happens in the Reflection each time there's a murder? People in this side get scared, and more Shadows appear over there." She explains before falling silent.

I ponder at it for a moment. She was right, although nobody died people are still upset about this incident, so more Shadows are bound to appear. Plus the ones that spawned at the start of the month, now there are even more Shadows that we'll have to deal with. I'm getting better at fighting Shadows, but this is becoming overwhelming.

I look at Yang, who is staring at me with concern. She looks like she wants to say something. Before I could ask her what's wrong, she spills it out.

"Ruby, I'll go with you the next time you go to that world." She says firmly, clenching her fist to the sides.

I'm taken aback by this, and my stomach began to knot itself. "Yang… no, it is too dangerous for you!"

"You're also in danger!" She counters. Her face contorted into a pained scowl. "You're fighting those monster by your own. There's no telling of what you may find there or whether you'll be able to…" She falls silent again and bows her head.

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Yang, thanks for worrying so much about me. But honestly, you can't help me over there. We can't be certain that you also have the same Power as I without putting you at risk."

Yang raises her head and pushes my hand away. "We can." She says before walking to her desk and picking a pen and then walking to a vanity mirror that was in the far corner of her room. She taps the pen a few times over the glass, making dull clacks, before turning at me. "'Any framed mirror can act as a doorway,' huh?" She then raises a hand and reach for the glass…

… The surface of the mirror cracks like a frozen pond when she touches it.

I stare in astonishment. I walk to the mirror as Yang removes her hand and I reach to the now even surface. Like it did seconds before, the surface gives in like a thin sheet of ice. I try to push my way further, but there's something blocking me just beneath it. Figures, since our home is outside of the downtown area, so no one could get to the Reflection from here.

Still…

I look at Yang on the mirror's reflection, who is just staring straight at herself before turning at me. "Now we're more certain, right?" She asks.

"How did you… ?"

"Yesterday, after you went in, I went to the changing room." She bows her head and crosses her arms. "I wanted to go after you, make sure you'd be okay, so I tried my hand at it, and it worked." She smirks proudly before taking again a solemn look. "Since I can cross on my own now, then that'd mean…?

"I…" I don't know how to react. In one hand, she's right, now there must be a better chance that she has the same Power. In the other, we're not 100% certain that she does have it. I don't know what to do. "I… I'll tell Ren about this. See what he thinks."

Yang lets out a breath. "Seems fair. But I'll still come with you the next time." She says before pulling me into a hug. "I'm sorry. But I don't want to stay behind."

I don't have the strength to return the hug, but I also don't push her away.

After she lets me go, I return to my room and crawl into bed.

Sleep doesn't arrive until late in the night.


	21. Mo, 4-24

**Mo, 4/24**

 **Monday, April 24th/ Morning.**

Everyone at school are talking about yesterday's attack, theories and speculation running rampant. I hear a couple of guys mentioning that the culprit might have been a nutcase that tried to pretend he'd been hypnotized or drugged or whatever it is that is happening around here. I decide to text Ren to ask him if we could meet later today, to find out what he can say about the attack.

There's also the matter with Yang…

I do my best to focus in class.

 **Monday, April 24th/ After School.**

I meet with Yang in the hallway, then after she sends a quick message to dad, we go to the school roof to meet with Ren. He arrives a minute later. He takes note of Yang's presence, but doesn't comment on it.

"I suppose you were able to guess the same we did." I start. "The attack on the bookstore couldn't be related to the Reflection or Shadows. The man who attacked the bookstore owner didn't just go and start beating on him."

Ren nods once in agreement. "True. The way people act when they're possessed by a Shadow is more primal, more _brutal_. Yesterday's incident was premeditated, the man brought a weapon with him and he even threatened directly the store owner. I'm certain that this man was aware of what he was doing too, since he then ran away from the scene." He crosses his arms and lowers his gaze. "Also, Shadows have only possessed people at least once every thirty days, give or take. The fact that this happened only eighteen days after the last Act of Violence just doesn't match the pattern.

"Everything points out to this being a normal attack and not something related to the Shadows or the Reflection in any way."

I nod to this, realizing that the timing of the attack doesn't make sense either. "But this still poses a problem for us, doesn't it?" I quickly add. "I mean, nobody died this time, but many people are upset about this."

"Everybody in the school was hysterical today too." Yang comments. "There were a few absentees in my classroom. No doubt they were too scared to go out of there homes." She adds ruefully.

Ren nods. "You are right. This overall has the same effect as the other attacks. And it's even worse, since the culprit is still free. This mass paranoia will make more Shadows to be born in the other world, which means that hunting them down will become more difficult."

"Yeah, we figured the same thing." Yang then adds, taking a step forward. "And from what I know, Ruby has been the only one to do any fighting since this started, am I wrong?"

I mentally sigh. Here we go.

"So far, yes. Once she has trained more, I'll be able to assist her in battle. But right now, I still have to give her support from the sidelines."

"But she could also use help right now, doesn't she?" Yang counters.

I decide to step in before this escalates more. "Ren, Yang discovered the other day that she can enter the Reflection." I say. Ren's expression remains stoic as I continue, though I can tell he's somewhat surprised. "She went in after we left the store on the other side, and yesterday she showed me in our home. The mirror reacted, but we couldn't enter the Reflection itself." I glance at Yang, who is glancing back and forth between me and Ren expectantly. "She's decided that she'll come along the next time we go into the Reflection."

Everybody is dead quiet for a full minute before Ren spoke once again. "Okay." He says while shrugging.

What?

"What?" Both Yang and I say at the same time.

"If she's able to go through a doorway on her own, then the chances that she has the Potential are significantly higher. There's no issue with her coming along the next time." He simply says.

There's a silence in that moment. I turn to Yang, she turns to me before we both turn to him at the same time. "You became very accepting of this really fast, y'know?" Yang says.

"Do you want me to put my foot down?" He asks with a raised eyebrow. "What I said is true. Now your chances of having a Persona are greatly higher than before. You'd still need to awake to it, but now you're not at risk at the Reflection." He turns at me. "I'm sorry if I put a strain to any of you because of this, but the risk _was_ too great."

"I-" I take a glance to Yang, who is smiling cockily. "I'm still not convinced, to be honest. But if you say this is fine, then I'm fine with it too." I finally resolve.

Yang must have took notice of my hesitation, since she didn't start cheering right away. "That seems fair." She says. "So, when will the next trip going to be?"

At this, Ren starts to ponder. "We should be cautious with the next training session. Shadows ought to be exacerbated right now, so it could be too dangerous. I'll scout the Reflection during the week to see how the situation is. I'll tell you later what I find."

"Sounds like a plan." Yang comments before checking on her cell. "Well, if that's everything, we should be getting home now."

We both say our goodbyes to Ren and then head towards the bus station. After getting in the bus, Yang starts talking again. "Hey, are you really okay with this? I know you're worried about me, so I want to know if you're really okay."

"Well, I'm still a bit unsure about this. But then again, I know just as much as you do. If Ren says there'll be no problem, then I'm okay with this." I smile at her. "Besides, I really could use a hand over there."

She smiles back. "Alright then." She says before looking out of the window.

We sit like that, enjoying the silence, before a small detail jumps to the front of my mind. "Oh! Just a heads up. I kinda have three Personas."

"Okay." She says. There's a beat, and then… "Wait what?!"

 **Monday, April 24th/ Evening.**

I have some homework I need to catch on with, so I spend the rest of the day in my room working on that. After dinner, I turn in for the night. After saying my goodnights to mom and the guys, I think back to today's development.

Yang is coming with us the next time we go to the Reflection, whenever that might be.

Honestly, I'm still not sure this might be a good idea.


	22. Tu, 4-25

**Tu, 4/25**

 **Tuesday, April 25th/ Lunch.**

In the middle of lunch break, a senior student comes running into the cafeteria screaming. "They caught him! Police caught the guy who tried to kill the bookstore owner!" He announced, a mixture of happiness and relief pasted on his face. There was a massive cheer from several people in the room. I find it astonishing to see so many high school students showing this amount of interest in local events. Maybe they're all just relieved to hear that the person is now off of the streets. I know I am.

The atmosphere in the cafeteria is a lot lighter and jovial afterwards.

 **Tuesday, April 25th/ After School.**

Track practice goes on without a hitch, although Coach is running everybody ragged today. The reason being that the girls team got a few more members today, so now we qualify for local competitions. Between the intensive training and Coach's recollections of his victories during his highschool years, practice becomes incredibly tiring and, to be honest, annoying. By the time practice is over, everyone can barely move. I think I saw a few girls passed out on the bleachers.

"Well done, everyone! All of you performed excellent today. If we keep this regime, MOS might win the gold in the next competition. You are dismissed." Coach says before leaving the track field.

I head for the water-cooler and down an entire bottle of water in one swig. "Wow, that's impressive." Sun quips from the bench. He had drunk half of his bottle, and was now pouring water over his head. "Y'know, at a face-value, non-innuendo kind of way." He promptly adds.

"Yeah, I get it." I say before sitting next to him, letting my muscles to cool down. "Man, today was overkill."

"Yeah, Port went a little overboard today. But hey, at least he's in a chipper mood." He gets up and throws the bottle in the bin. "And who knows, maybe the team can win a competition."

"That'd be cool." I muse to myself. "Hey, maybe you could win it for your team."

"Nah." Sun quickly dismisses. "The other guys are a lot much better. You could probably win it for the girls."

"We can hear you." Says one of the girls from the bleachers, who is giving Sun a stinky eye. That shut him up immediately. I can't help but laugh.

After that, I take a quick shower and head back home.

 **Tuesday, April 25th/ Evening.**

Yang convinced Dad to make grated cauliflower for dinner tonight, so she's busy preparing the bechamel when I get home. After dropping my stuff in my room, I go back down and help her with everything that needs cutting or shredding. We set everything in a skillet and throw it to the oven. Yang says that it should take at least two hours for it to be ready, noting that it is still relatively early. So the two of us join dad in the living room.

"You've heard? They found the guy who made a scene at the bookstore the other day." Yang comments.

"I did." Dad says while reading the newspaper. "I'm glad to hear that. This city doesn't need to worry about crazed men whipping out guns from out of nowhere."

"Have they said anything else about what happened?"

"Not yet. That's why I have the TV on. They should make an announcement soon."

As if on cue, the news bumper pops up on the screen. "Breaking news on the failed assassination attempt from last sunday, when the VCPD apprehended the man who threatened Mr. Tukson Leon with gun in hand on said day." The Anchorwoman says. I notice that her hair is a bit more pink today, whereas it was greenish the last time I remember.

"Today at midday, the VCPD tracked down a man matching the attacker's description to an apartment complex on Uptown Vale and took him under custody. Cyril Ian is on the police station to give us an exclusive."

"Thanks Lisa. I'm here with Inspector Stoves, who is head of the investigation. Officer, what can you tell us about the arrest?"

The detective is a man with short black hair and a thick beard. Oddly enough, he's wearing shades even though the sun's already down. "Well, all we can say is that the man did a terrible job at hiding his footprints. It only took us finding where he bought the gun, which gave us a name and an address. I should probably say right now, that we found out that this man has a record in our computers, which could lead to a motive."

"Oh really?" Ian asks excitedly.

"Really. Turns out that Mr. Perry Vert was involved in some freaky car accident almost a year ago. Vert was driving drunk and didn't see a truck coming from his left. His little sister was on the passenger seat. Didn't survive the crash." The officer says dismissively.

"But you said that it could lead to a motive for this attack. What is it?"

"I was getting to that!" Officer Stoves snaps at Ian before continuing. "The thing that connects that incident with the attack is that the man in the truck was Tukson Leon.

"So, with the evidence incriminating Vert and a sound motive, we can safely assume that he's our culprit." The officer claims while he takes off his shades in a fast motion.

"That's good to hear, officer. What else can you tell us about Mr. Vert? Did the VCPD managed to get a confession from him?"

"Well, that could be mighty difficult, seeing that Mr. Vert is in no conditions to give a confession."

"Could you elaborate on that, officer?"

"What I said." Inspector Stoves says matter of factly. "The man is out of his mind. Hasn't said a word since we brought him in and didn't offer opposition. He simply remains unresponsive."

That got me to react. "Out of his mind"? That does not sound normal.

"'Unresponsive' you say? Inspector Stoves, could this behavior be connected to what people have described in the past few months?"

"Sorry, but this investigation remains unrelated to the so called 'Acts of Violence.' This interview is over." And with that, Stoves leaves the frame, leaving a dumbfounded Ian hanging on his question.

"Um… well, there you have it. People in Vale should sleep peacefully knowing that this threat is now under control. Back to you Lisa."

The report changes back to the news-studio, where Lavender gives a quick closure for the segment before cutting off the transmission. I turn to the others to see their reactions. Yang looks befuddled but concerned, while Dad seems to be between a cringe and a facepalm.

"Well, that officer was… odd."

"Yep."

"Agreed."

However, there's something about that report that didn't sound right, and guessing by Yang's expression, she was thinking the same thing.

I decide to forget about it for a while. We have dinner and watch an old movie until late in the night. After it ends, Dad excuses himself and goes to his room. Yang and I head upstairs and get changed in our rooms. After I'm finished, Yang knocks on my door and enters.

"Hey." She says. "What do you think about that report?"

I take a deep breath before starting. "To be honest, I don't know what to think. There's something odd on the fact that this man is not reacting, if what that inspector said is even reliable." I point out.

"Yeah. But look at the way he reacted when asked about the Acts of Violence? There's something that the police don't _want_ to say." She remarks with a frown. "Or maybe they just don't understand what's going on."

"It's possible. But I'm not so sure… we said that this isn't related to the Reflection, but with everything we heard today…"

"It'd be better to be one-hundred percent sure, right?" Yang says, taking the words out of my mouth.

"Yeah, I agree."

"Okay, so what should we do then?" She asks expectantly.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, what should we do?" She repeats before adding. "Do you wanna investigate or something?"

"Oh! Well… I don't know, honestly. I was hoping you'd have an idea." I explain while rubbing the back of my head.

Yang gives me a knowing smile before speaking again. "Well, with how I see it, we won't get anything from the authorities, so maybe we should ask people who saw what happened in the bookstore." She suggests.

I ponder it for a second before nodding. "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Tomorrow would be perfect, actually."

"Cool." She glances at my cellphone on my nightstand. "Should either of us tell Ren?"

"Nah. I don't think it'd be a good idea if we don't find anything afterwards." I tell her. "If we stumble into something useful, then we'll tell him."

"Makes sense." She says before drowning a huge yawn. "Welp, good night sis."

"Good night, Yang." I tell her back.

After she leaves the room, I give my goodnights to the picture and my Evoker before laying on bed. Tomorrow should be interesting.


	23. We 4-26

**We, 4/26**

 **Wednesday, April 26th/ Morning.**

Yang and I are hitting the town to find out whatever we can about the incident on the bookstore after classes today.

Ms. Goodwitch is in a particularly crabby mood today, and is not letting anyone get too distracted. I focus intently on today's lessons.

 **Wednesday, April 26th/ After School.**

As the last bell rings, I head to the courtyard and wait for Yang to come out. When she gets there we head for the main gate when we stumble upon Ren. He seems somewhat surprised to see us.

"'Sup Ren?" Yang says nonchalantly. "Heading home?"

He shrugs before speaking. "Sorta. I have to take care of something first. What about you?"

"We're going to the town to hang out and stuff." I tell him. "The normal. Wanna walk together until then?"

Ren simply shrugs before he starts walking again, with Yang and I walking besides him. After we got into town, we remained as a group until we arrived to the street where the bookstore is located and we all realized what was going on. "Ren, you're going to the bookstore too, aren't you?" I ask him.

"Yes. I thought it would be prudent to see what people think of this whole mess, especially after the police found the culprit. I guess you also came to ask around."

"Yeah. There was something that didn't seem right about yesterday's report. We wanted to see if there was something the police missed." I explain before adding. "We're convinced this man wasn't possessed when he attacked, but wanted to double check."

Ren crosses his arms and remains silent for a moment before sighing in defeat. "Very well. I admit that three all of us doing this would be a lot easier… and less conspicuous." He glances to one side before returning to us. "Try to find out everything you can and lets meet here in thirty minutes."

"Got it."

"Roger." Yang adds before she heads off to one of the stores neighboring the bookstore, while Ren enters the other one, leaving me with the bookstore itself.

Once inside, I start casually speaking with people at random, carefully leading the conversation to the matter of the attack to see what can they tell me. At first I find people who've only heard about the attack or even were unaware that there was an incident. Then there's the people who were near the store when the incident happened; none of them could give me anything new about the attacker, though they all seemed to agree that it was a relief that he's been caught, but most of them were vindicated by this fact, viciously so.

All in all, I wasn't learning anything useful from them.

I walk to one of the clerks who was currently sorting books in one of the shelves. "Excuse me?" I ask.

"Hi, Welcome to 'Tukson's Book Trade,' Home of every book under the sun." The lady says in a rehearsed, bright tone. "How may I help you?"

I decide to get to the point. "I was wondering if you could tell me anything about the man who came here last sunday. The one on the news."

The woman's brow furrowed at this. "Are you from the newspaper from the local school?"

"I- Yeah, yes I am." I tell her, hoping that that could help me on this.

"I think one of you came already today." She says before lifting her gaze towards the entrance. "There she goes."

I turn around to see non-other than Blake walking out of the bookstore. I look back at the store clerk, who's giving me a funny look. "Um… Yeah, that's Blake. We work on different sections of the newspaper, though. So would you mind me if I ask you some questions too?" I ask.

She looks over to the shelf before sighing and turning back to me. "Sure. What do you need to know?"

I got her now. "I wanted to know if there was something about the man that came here that stood out to you."

"Well, besides that he was furious, I didn't notice anything unusual about that man." She states. "He threatened Mr. Leon with stuff like 'thought you'd get away with it,' 'all fun and games.' None of that made sense." She leans over. "Between you and me, I don't think that person was sane at all." She says.

I feel somewhat unnerved by this woman's attitude, but I decide to ask further. "Is there something else you can tell me?"

"No, I don't think there is. I'd suggest you to ask Mr. Leon himself, but I haven't seen him the whole day. I guess he decided to take the day off or something." She turns to work again on her book-sorting without even looking back at me.

I decide to leave this woman alone. "Thanks… for nothing." I mutter under my breath.

As I walk out of the store, I meet with Ren and Yang at the front of the store. "Did you find anything useful?" Ren asks.

"People said that they saw Vert roaming the street a few days before the attack, and that he seemed nervous about something on Sunday." Yang says.

"I didn't learn anything useful. People are glad that nothing happened, but they're also a bit _too happy_ that they caught Vert." I say, making no effort to hide my discomfort. "One person said that Vert was furious when he threatened Leon." I think back at what the news report said about the car accident. "To be honest, it'd make sense that he wanted to take payback on Tukson." I say.

"I heard some people saying that they saw Vert when escaping." Ren adds while crossing his arms. "They claim he was really distraught."

"Some person told me that he might have some issues." I say recalling what that clerk told me. All of this is making me uncomfortable.

"So… I guess it really is not related to the Reflection." Yang says.

"It seems like it." Ren agrees. "It was all just bad timing for the most part. Not something we should be concerned about."

"Maybe." I say. "But it doesn't make it less unpleasant." I bow my head.

"Yeah. These people were real dicks. How about some sympathy?" Yang adds.

"I hate to say this, but sadly, there's nothing we can do about that." Ren says. "Anyways, we found what we needed. We should all go home now."

"I guess." I say before saying goodbye to Ren.

After that, Yang and I head back home.

 **Wednesday, April 26th/ Evening.**

Dad turns in early after dinner, so Yang and I spend the rest of the evening playing UNO in the living room. After winning the tenth time straight, my cellphone rings in.

It is Ren.

I pick it up and answer. "Yes?"

" _Rose. Turn the TV on, now._ " He tells me. He sounds concerned.

I quickly grab the remote and turn the tv on with the volume low. There's another news announcement.

"-en an employee found the body of Tukson Leon on the back of the store at closing hours." The announcer says with a somber tone. I almost drop the remote as images of the bookstore I've been just hours ago were shown on the screen.

"Mr. Leon, who had been victim of an assassination attempt a few days ago was found dead on the bookstore owned by him a few minutes before it was set to close. Employees are baffled and disturbed on how it ended up in there." The announcer continues as a picture of Tukson appears on the screen. "Police reports that the cause of death is full-body, blunt-force trauma, for what they suspect that Mr. Leon was hit by a large vehicle, which caused fatal injuries on his body.

"What investigators can't explain however is how or why was the body dropped in the store without anyone noticing. The VCPD hasn't found any leads on who the culprit might be, though they believe they could be associated with Perry Vert, the man that threatened to kill Mr. Leon last sunday. We hope to give you more news on the dev~" I turn off the TV and turn my phone on speaker mode.

"Ren, you still there?" I ask.

" _Yes. I don't think this is a coincidence anymore._ " He says. " _This is somehow connected to the Reflection._ "

"But how?" Yang interrupts. "You heard the report, his death doesn't match the profile again. It surely wasn't someone possessed by a Shadow."

Suddenly, a terrible thought crosses my mind. "Could it be… that Tukson was transported into the Reflection?"

" _I don't know. Nothing like that has ever happened._ " Ren replies.

"But it still doesn't make sense. Wouldn't he need a mirror or something to go there and then return? I mean…" Yang tries to explain what had just happened, mostly to herself, while scratching her head before shaking it. "Ugh, this doesn't make any sense!"

" _No, it doesn't. But we can't rule it out. There's something we missed._ " Ren calmly explains.

"Oh god." I whisper as I remember something. "That lady clerk told me that Tukson didn't come to work today. Maybe that's when he… Oh god."

Yang puts a hand on my shoulder. "Easy there. There's no way we could've known."

" _She's right. What's important now is to find out what happened._ " Ren says before falling silent for a few seconds. Then he starts again. " _We need to go to the Reflection sometime soon. See if there are any clues over there._

" _We'll see the details tomorrow. For now, we should rest._ " He says before dismissing the call.

Neither Yang nor I say another word after, instead agreeing to go to sleep. As I crawl to bed, I can't help to think on all of this.

Somebody else died. If it is related to the Reflection, then could we have prevented it?


	24. Th, 4-27

**Th, 4/27**

 **Thursday, April 27th/ After School.**

I had a rough night, so I'm still tired after we arrived at the school. It didn't help that it's been raining dogs and cats the entire day, so I had a really hard time focusing in class. I'll have to make up sometime in the weekend.

Ren, Yang and I agreed to meet outside of the school after Yang and I are done with sports practice, but track practice got canceled because of the rain, so I have nothing to do for another hour but wander the school hallways. I keep thinking back about what happened yesterday.

Tukson's death had something to do with the Reflection in some way, but none of us saw it coming. Could it be that what this man Vert tried to do is also related to this? Try as I might, I can't make sense of what's going on.

As I walk to the entrance of the building, I find a person waiting there. It's Blake. She's looking at the rain outside with a worried face and is fidgeting with her phone before letting out a frustrated grunt. I decide to check on her. "Hey Blake, what's going on?"

She turns and looks at me, seemingly surprised to see me. "Hey, Ruby. What are you doing still at the school?"

"I'm waiting for my sister to finish practice. I had practice too, but with this rain no one can use the track field."

"True, you're on the track team." She says before scowling back at her phone and pocketing it. "Guess we're both trapped until this rain lets off."

"You don't like rain?"

"No, and I lent my umbrella to someone the other day, and he didn't think to wait for me when he left." She adds angrily before turning back at me with an apologetic look. "Sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you with this."

"It's okay." I say dismissively. Still, I can't help to notice that she has this somber look on her. "Are you okay? You look kinda down."

She glances at me before turning back. "It's nothing."

"Oh, okay." I say awkwardly. After a full minute of nothing but the rain falling, I speak again. "Crazy week, huh?"

"... You could say that."

I then recall having seen Blake yesterday on the bookstore. She's from the school's newspaper, she ought to have gone there to ask something about the incident on Sunday. I decide to try my luck.

"Hey, I guess you've heard about what happened to the bookstore owner." I say. Her gaze turns to me quickly, as if surprised.

"It is my job to know, yes." She says cautiously.

Okay, it's all or nothing. "I was wondering, what do you know about all of this?" I ask her before adding. "I mean, I've heard people talking about it, but I figured you'd be a more _reliable_ source." I say with an apologetic smile.

She stares at me for a second before sighing. "Tukson and I were good acquaintances. Suffice to say, I was worried about him when that man threatened him." She takes a deep breath. "He told me about that car accident before the police revealed it two days ago."

"Wait, so he knew who Perry was?"

"Yes." She says. "The reason he didn't tell the cops the day of the incident was because he felt ashamed over that." She shakes her head. "I'm just as shocked as you are to learn that he's dead, to be honest."

"I'm sorry." I tell her. "Was he okay? Last time you saw him, I mean."

"I went to the bookstore the day they caught the man, and he seemed fine to me. Then I tried to go there yesterday, but he didn't go to work." She sighs. "At first I thought that he was ashamed that everybody knew what had happened. And then…" She trails off before looking out of the entrance. I turn too and see that the rain has let on a bit. I also see people from the judo team leaving the GYM while Yang made her way towards the school building. "Anyway, I should go now. I Hope I was helpful."

"Thanks. Seeya!" I wave at her as she heads for the main gate, just at the same time Yang arrived.

"What's up?" Yang asks. "Did you make friends with Blake?"

"Not exactly." I explain to her that I managed to learn something from her about Tukson. "I'll tell the two of you after meeting with Ren."

We head to the food court in town and find Ren in the juice bar. After taking a seat, I go over everything that Blake told me. After I'm finished, Ren has a pensive look on his face, while Yang… well.

"So he _knew_ why that man threatened him?!"

She was a bit more livid.

"Sis, Blake said that he felt guilt over that."

"More like didn't want the police to be on his case." She counters. "'I have no idea what did I do to make him mad.' Bunch of bullshit."

"Yang, please, that is not important."

"Rose is right. The situation with the car accident is lamentable, but there's no point in demonizing anyone here." He says bluntly, though without raising his voice. "What is important is that now we know that after classes ended two days ago, Leon was perfectly fine, in this world. Which means that sometime between Tuesday and Yesterday he had to have gone missing."

"Are we _sure_ that he went into the Reflection, though." Yang points out. "Sorry, but as far as I know, it doesn't make sense for a random person to just disappear into that place and then reappear afterwards."

Ren looks at the table as he locks his hands together. "I also have my doubts, but the fact that the body appeared on the _back of the store_ without anybody noticing it being carried in… It is just a theory, but it might be possible that Leon could have crossed through a Rift."

"That still doesn't make sense, though." I say. "I thought that Rifts only appeared on the Reflection."

Ren simply shrugs. "I didn't say it was a sound theory, but it is what we have. There are still things that I don't understand about the Reflection, so anything is probable."

"Um, perhaps you could've told us that earlier." Yang says listlessly. I roll my eyes at her.

"So what do we do?" I ask.

"We have to go into the Reflection. We need to find proof that Leon was indeed in the Reflection and then find out how he ended up in there. The sooner we go, the better."

Yang leans forward on the table. "Our dad has to leave to give private lessons at the university tomorrow. Ruby and I can go there after school is over." She says, a bit too quickly.

Ren nods once before looking at me. "Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, it's fine with me."

"Then it is set. Tomorrow after classes are over, we'll go to the Reflection."

 **Thursday, April 27th/ Evening.**

After returning home, I sit in my room to review today's lessons until dinner is ready and then rest for a while before turning in for the night.

Tomorrow we'll go to the Reflection. It'll be the second time Yang goes in there.

I look at the picture frame on my nightstand and give mom a tap in the nose. "Wish me luck, mommy."

I fall asleep almost immediately.


	25. Fr, 4-28

**Fr, 4/28**

 **Friday, April 28th/ Morning.**

I'm up and early in the morning, heading downstairs before anyone else is up. I decide to make breakfast myself for a change, so get to work on it. By the time Dad and Yang come to the kitchen, I've whipped a good serving of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast on three plates. "I hope it came out alright." I tell them as we all sit on the table.

"It looks alright." Says Yang popping a piece of bacon into her mouth.

"Eat up girls. We're leaving early today." Dad says, taking egg and bacon and putting it on a piece of toast.

"Hmm? Why is that?" I ask.

"I wanna drive the two of you to school today before I head for the university. With what's happened this week, I just wanna make sure you get there okay." He says before taking a bite from his toast.

Yang and I decide not to argue this and comply with him. After a quick drive to the school where he tells us to stay out of trouble, he drop us off before heading off down the street. When we enter the courtyard, the usual subdued cacophony of tired and sleepy students is even more subdued today. Half of the people that are here normally each morning seems to be missing. Even for a Friday, when classes start earlier, the school is almost deserted.

"Well, seems like a lot of people got stuck to their bedsheets." Yang comments before adding. "Again."

"Well, classes ought to be interesting today." I say.

"Yeah. I'll see you later, Ruby." Yang says before heading to her classroom.

I head to my homeroom and peek inside. Only ten other students came to class today, including Jaune and Weiss. She seems to be upset about something, so I make a point on not bothering her today.

After Dr. Oobleck enters the room and sees that half of the classroom is missing, he decides to take the chance to cram two history lessons today instead of one. He's received with a collective groan.

 **Friday, April 28th/ After School.**

Ms. Goodwitch was sensible enough to end classes early today, but not without handing additional readings for the weekend. Plus, she made a point to say that all absentees will have to give her a five page essay for Tuesday. I hear several people saying how they dodged that bullet.

I go to the main gate and meet up with Yang. We wait a while longer before Ren comes out and join us.

"Are you two ready?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say.

"So, how are we gonna go about this?" Yang asks, putting a hand on her hip.

"We need to use another doorway this time. Going to _Adel's_ as many times as we've done so far is already pushing it. We're lucky no one has suspected anything." He says as he uncrosses his arms. "Luckily, there's another clothes store with full vanity mirrors down that street. It is a lot closer to Tukson's Book Trade too, so it is a better option in the end."

I nod. It makes sense to try and avoid wandering around in the Reflection for too long. We all turn to head towards the town when I notice Ren's backpack slightly open, revealing a familiar suitcase. "You're bringing the radar with you?" I ask.

"Yes. I don't expect us to find much trouble today, but it is better to be safe."

"What's the radar?" Yang asks as we make our way through the town.

"It's this device Ren uses to give me back up while I'm training. It can detect Shadows around me, and then collect data about the Shadows I defeat. I _think_ he uses his Persona to make it work." I explain to her the best I can. "He needs to remain still to use it, though. So that's the only downside."

"Not exactly." Ran says. "Whenever I get the radar going, it takes a lot of focus to keep it functioning indefinitely. But after I finish using it, I can't make it work again nor summon Yoshitsune."

"So wait. You're saying that once you turn it on, you are stuck with it?" Yang says, incredulously staring at him. I'm also dumbfounded at learning this.

"At least until the next day, yes." Ren says, somewhat sounding apologetic. "I'm looking into getting that problem fixed. But for now, this is all we've got."

As we all fall silent, Yang lingers a bit behind us, pulling me closer to whisper "Guess I made the right choice to come with you this time."

I fight the urge to groan at this, and instead keep looking forward until we arrive to a corner where the clothes store is. Ren insists on everyone entering by turns as to avoid drawing many eyes. Yang goes in first, and after five minutes, Ren heads in too. I take five minutes to prepare myself before entering too.

 **Friday, April 28th/** **Reflection** **.**

"You still didn't believe it?" I hear Yang asking as soon as I'm stepping out of the mirror.

"That's not what I said. I only acknowledged that you were saying the truth."

"Of course we were!" Yang exclaims.

"Guys, can we not do this?" I interrupt before this escalates any further. "Seriously, we're all on the same side."

"But Ruby, he…"

"I'm sorry for having mistrusted you. I did have my doubts, but now you've proven me wrong." Ren says _almost_ too quickly before turning to the store's exit. "We should get going. Drop your backpacks here, no one will take them."

Yang apparently decided not to press on this matter and simply followed him, so I fall back besides her. After a short walk, we arrive at Tukson's bookstore. It is an almost perfect copy of the real thing, except for the reversed architecture and white facade. "Well, let's get started." I say taking a step forward when Ren blocked me with a hand.

"Wait, something isn't right." He claims while looking around him. "There aren't any Shadows on the street around the bookstore."

"That can't be a bad thing, is it?" Yang asks, looking somewhat annoyed.

"There should be Shadows lingering around after what happened on Wednesday. They wander off to closed areas after a while, but the first week after a death is never this… quiet." He then kneels on the floor and sets up the radar. After a few seconds, it starts emitting a loud beep. "What?"

"What is it?"

"This doesn't make sense." Ren mutters before turning to us. "I read Shadows inside the bookstore, but I can't pinpoint their exact location. It's like there's some interference."

"Has this happened before?" Yang asks with concern.

"No. It must be because they're in an enclosed space." He shrugs before taking the earpiece and handing it to me. "You should proceed with caution."

"What about me, huh?" Yang says again, crouching to see Ren eye to eye. "Don't you have a cool headphone for me too?"

Ren sighs before speaking. I feel a knot forming in my tummy. "The situation has changed. We can't let you to go in too. It's too dangerous."

"That's exactly why I'm going in!" Yang says, standing up. "I won't let Ruby go in alone. And nothing any of you say will change my mind." She claims as she crosses her arms over her chest.

I wince a little after hearing Yang saying that. I appreciate her concern, but I'm more concerned about her acting so… defensive. Still, there's really not much I can do. "Okay. We'll both enter the bookstore." I say before addressing Yang only. "If something attacks us, I want you to stand aside, okay? I don't want you getting hurt."

Her posture loosens a bit and she sighs. "Deal."

"Okay. Ren, give her an earpiece, please."

He complies, and after we all check that communication works, Yang and I walk towards the entrance of the bookstore.

Once inside, a few of the ceiling lamps turn on on their own, lighting small blots of the store, while leaving some areas covered in darkness. Even with the poor lighting, it is easy to see the large smear of blood among in the center of the entrance. Yang and I yelp in surprise, not having expected to find this. And it isn't like we could have missed a huge red stain on the white floor.

"Ren, we found our clue." I say through the radio. "There's a lot of blood in here."

The amount is staggering.

I turn to see Yang. She looks a bit nauseated.

 _/Well, now we know for sure that someone died there./_ I hear Ren saying. _/You should look around, see what else can you find. Be careful though./_

I take out my spear and assemble it before pushing forward, while making sure to not step in the blood. We find that some shelves have been tipped over, and several reverse-printed books and magazines were strewn about the place. Out of the corner of my eye, I see one of those floating tiaras hovering near the counter. It hasn't taken notice of us, so I ignore it for the moment, while still alert for…

 _ **THUD!**_

… Anything.

I turn around and find Yang mid-cringe. She had stumbled against a book, which made it fall to the ground. The Shadow jerked its faceless gaze to us, and three others also joined it.

"Oops." Yang says.

"Stay back!" I tell her as I step forward to meet the Shadows. I swipe a finger over my evoker and summon a Persona.

" _BRUNHILDE!_ "

Brunhilde appears in front of me, unleashing a small blizzard to the first Shadow, which falls to the floor covered in ice. "Again!" She does the same to another one which also falls down, this time shattering upon impact. The other two shoot balls of fire at me. I dodge one, but the other one hits me right in the chest.

"Ruby!" I hear Yang screaming.

I shrug the pain off and strike one of the still floating tiaras three times with my spear. It bursts into nothingness before I turn and impale the one that is still on the floor, which also dissolves. The remaining tiara tries to throw another fireball at me, but I managed to dodge again. " _PERSONA!_ " Brunhilde appears again, releasing a blizzard that knocks the Shadow out, where I finish it off.

I turn to Yang, who is looking at me astonished. "Wow."

"I know, right?" I say with a smirk.

 _/Is everything alright?/_

"Yeah, just a small fight. Nothing new though." I tell Ren.

 _/Okay. Any new clues?/_

"Only that this place is wrecked." Yang says looking over the place. "It looks like there was an earthquake or something like that."

"Yeah. I don't think we'll…" I trail off as I stare at the floor. There's a tire-track coming from the puddle of dried blood, so faint that I almost didn't noticed it in the dim light. "There's a track on the floor." I announce.

Yang joins me and follows the direction with her eyes, before looking to the side. "There's another one, just beside that one." She points out. Sure enough, there are two sets of tire marks lining the floor, sometimes concealed beneath a book or an entire bookshelf, that lead straight to the back of the store. "I think we found a lead." Yang says.

"Ren, is it safe to proceed?" I ask. There's a bit of static.

 _/Your transmitter is not picking any Shadows. Don't let your guard down, though./_

Yang and I follow the trail, finding more shelves thrown hazardly to the ground, several of them broken and splintered. After reaching the back wall, we found a door that had been pushed down, with the frame torn apart and the wall around it made a crumble. Basically, there was no wall there anymore.

Beyond that, there was an archive room with several cabinets lining the left and right walls. The room itself seems oddly long, though, and the presence of the bloody tire marks running down its length makes the room feel foreboding. Yang and I start walking down the strange hallway.

"This is getting more and more confusing now." Yang mutters. "I mean, the tire-tracks, this wreck… it looks like somebody ran a car through the store."

"Well, the report did say that Tukson died after being hit with a large vehicle."

Yang looks down the hallway before talking again. "Do you think we'll find that vehicle?"

"To be honest, I don't know if I want to find out."

After a few more steps, we reach a dead end. Literally. Instead of a wrecked car or truck, the tracks suddenly stop right there, and on the end of the hallway there's a single table with a single newspaper article sitting on top of it. I pick up the cut-out and try to discern its contents. I managed to read the words "April 26th," "Car-Crash" and "Young girl."

"Yang, I think this from that car accident. The one Tukson was involved with." I say as I show it to her.

"But… how did this end up here? I don't think Tukson felt so guilty to keep that article all this time."

 **It's my fault.**

The two of us jump at the sound of the new voice. "What the hell was that?!" Yang asks.

 **I shouldn't have done it. It is my fault.**

It's a deep, masculine voice. The voice is trembling though, as if scared.

"Who is that?"

"Ren, are you hearing this?" I ask.

 _/I am. Can you locate the source?/_ He asks.

"I think it came from… the article?!" Yang says, looking just as dumbfounded as she sounds.

We both stare at the piece of paper as the voice keeps talking.

 **I was being stupid. I got drunk and started driving in the night. I didn't see the car…**

 **I panicked. I couldn't go to jail. I… I bribed the officer. He didn't protest. I should've faced it. I was too scared.**

"I… I think that is Tukson." I say, never removing my eyes from the article.

 **Perry was always smart. That's why we picked on him in high school. He knew what had happened. God, why did it have to be him.**

 **That doesn't matter now. Everybody knows of the accident. It's just a matter of time for people to start figuring out what really happened. That girl died because of me. Perry is in prison. I should confess.**

 **But I can't. I don't want any of that to happen to me.**

Tukson's voice stops resounding on the hallway, leaving us staring at the old piece of paper in silence.

It was Yang who spoke next. "Ruby, I think we should go now." She looks upset. "I think we've heard enough."

" **You're right. I don't want to keep hearing about nasty people who only care for themselves.** "

What?

Yang and I turn on our heels and stare down the hallway. Walking towards us is a figure surrounded in a black aura. As it come closer, the dim light reveals the features of this person. It was a girl, wearing the same uniform as us, with an open jacket. She had a familiar orange mascada tied around her neck and flaming-blond hair flowing from her head.

Besides the unnatural glowing, yellow eyes and a sinister smile, I could swear that I'm staring down at my own sister.

I look to my side, where I find Yang looking wide-eyed at this other Yang. I am also trying to wrap my head around this.

" **Aww, leaving already? But I thought you wanted to come in the first place,** _ **Yang**_ **.** " The other Yang says mockingly before letting out a jarring laugh. " **What is it? Did the cat get your tongue?** "

Suddenly, the transmitter burst to life once more. _/Rose! I'm picking a huge reading in front of you! There's a powerful Shadow in that place!/_

I look at the place in front of me. There's only the other Yang.

"What do you want?" Yang suddenly shouts. "Leave us alone!"

That only elicited another laugh from Yang Two. " **That's right, you wanted to come to protect your little sister. That's the sweetest little** _ **bullshit**_ **I've ever heard!** " She says, becoming incredibly upset.

"What?!"

" **Don't play dumb with me, You. I know exactly why you came here. It had** _ **nothing**_ **to do with protecting Ruby.** " Yang seems to stiffen up at this. The other Yang then speaks with a squeaky voice. " **Little Yang here just didn't want her little sister going to have fun without her. Boo hoo hoo!** " She says with a mockingly admonishing tone.

Yang suddenly jerks her head at me and starts speaking. "Don't listen to her. She doesn't knows what she's saying."

" **Yes I do.** "

"SHUT UP!" Yang screams at her double, visibly agitated. "You don't know shit about me! You are _not_ me!"

" **OF COURSE I'M NOT YOU, YOU DUMB BITCH!** " The double shouts back, the aura behind her becoming thicker. " **I do know you though. What you're scared of the most. That's what I am, Yang. I'm your worst fear.**

" **And what could scare you the most than being left behind? Discarded and forgotten like a broken toy?** " The thing I'm convinced now is a Shadow smiles. " **You hate it when people abandon you, don't you? I mean, you have an impressive track record:**

" **Your first boyfriend left you for your best friend. How brutal!** "

"Shut up." Yang orders again. I see her eyes welling up. "Stop it!"

"' **Stop it'? I'm just getting started. Mommy number two didn't love Daddy anymore, so she left the two of you** _ **and**_ **took your little sister with her.** "

"Please! Stop now!" Yang is crying at this point.

" **And finally, Mommy number one.** " The Shadow smiled with sadistic glee before frowning at Yang. " **She was so disgusted at you the day you popped out that she walked away the moment she could.** "

Yang crumbled into the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. It pained me to look at her. So instead, I glared at the Shadow. Spear at the ready. "You… you monster!"

The aura around the Shadow started spinning around it, the wind picking speed. " **I only said the truth. How pathetic that she can't handle it.** " Darkness started enveloping the Shadow, now I can barely make out her face. " **Now, do what everybody else does!** "

There's an explosion where the Shadow was standing, and in its place there's something more monstrous. An enormous, stuffed bear stood before me. It's brown and white felt was stitched and sewn together in several places, some of the stitches coming apart around its shoulders, spewing black flames; A yellow patch covered half of its face, while its single eye shimmered with the same yellow glow as earlier. Several oversized pins and sewing needles were stuck on top of its back and it held on its closed maw a rag-doll with two blond pigtails and lilac buttons on where her eyes should be.

 _/Rose, watch out! This one is extremely dangerous!/_

"I can see that!" I reply back before looking up at the Shadow.

It lunged at me, trying to maul me with one of its claws, but I block it and counter with a hit from my spear. It reels back before launching another swipe from its claw. This one connects and throws me several feet backwards. "Okay, time to knock you out." I swipe a finger over my evoker.

" _FENRIR!_ " Fenrir appears in front of the Shadow and strikes it across its back with one of his blades. It swats him away with a claw, but I barely feel it hitting. Fenrir then howls loudly, unleashing a gust of air beneath the bear. It doesn't flinch, however, instead starting to growl furiously.

" **LEAVE ME ALONE!** " An immense gust of cold air emanates from the bear's mouth, hitting me with full force. I double over in pain, and don't see the Shadow charging at me at full speed.

My head hurts, and I'm sure I heard a bone breaking. I change Personas and summon Brunhilde once again, her healing light shining on me, mending my injuries. Even after I stand up, another barrage of ice-cold air hits me again. I manage to survive it, but I'm not sure if I can keep holding on like this.

" **YOU GET IT NOW, DON'T YOU?** " The Shadow growls at me. " **THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP HER NOW. SHE CAN'T EVEN SAVE HERSELF! TOO SCARED TO RUN OFF AND SAVE HER OWN ASS!** "

"I don't care!" I say to the Shadow. "I don't care about any of the things that you said! I also know Yang, and I know she's the strongest person I've ever met, even if we spent several years in different places!" I turn around to see where Yang is. She has stopped crying and is looking up at me, surprise in her expression.

"She's my big sister." I say with a smile. "And you may know Yang. But you don't know me, and I will never leave my big sister behind."

" **THEN YOU'LL DIE WITH HER!** " The Shadow prepares itself to unleash another blizzard. I brace myself for the hit.

"STOP!" Yang screams, suddenly stepping up in front of me. It fires the blizzard and it hits her full force.

Yang doesn't flinch at all.

The stuffed bear reels back in surprise before Yang starts speaking. "You are right. I am scared of being abandoned. I wanted to help Ruby because I was afraid that she wouldn't have to count on me. But now I realize, that I can always count on her.

"I'm scared of many things. _But I am not scared of you_!"

A fiery ring forms around her left wrist before dissolving into a yellow evoker. Blue light starts pouring out from it as Yang raises both arms to shoulder level. She then closes both hands into fists and hits them together. " _PERSONA!_ "

A blue afterimage of Yang leaves her body before taking a new form. It looks like a woman clad in black clothes, covering her legs, arms, body and head completely; only her hands, shoulders, feet and upper-face are visible, the latter of which bears a pair of solid lilac eyes. Her clothes have golden details shaped like stylized flames around her sleeves and chest. She also wears a golden headpiece with three crests on each side and the middle, with a bright red stone embedded in the middle crest. From the back of her head flows down an impressively long braid of golden hair and from her shoulders emerged a pair of exhaust pipes that each emanate a focused flame.

These flames suddenly start burning more intensely, and Yang's Persona makes a revving sound. In a flash of movement, she had planted a fist on the Shadows face, creating an expansion wave and knocking the bear backwards. The new Persona fades away, just before Yang turns to check on me.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

 _/I would also like to hear that answer./_

I shake myself up and summon Brunhilde once again, letting her heal me once again. "I'm better now. Thanks for sticking out with me."

"Hey, what are sisters for?"

 _/As much as I hate interrupting this moment, you aren't done yet./_

Soon enough, the Shadow is climbing back to its feet, regarding us with a spiteful glare. "It attacks with ice." I mutter to myself. "Think you could counter that?" I ask turning to Yang.

Yang is letting light cover her forearm. "Sure thing."

I nod once before closing my left fist. " _PERSONA!_ " Brunhilde appears and crosses her swords towards the Shadow, which starts glowing a faint purple. It quakes in place as the glow breaks away from its body. "Yang, now!"

" _PERSONA!_ " Yang's Persona appears once again, aiming a finger gun at the bear as the ruby on her forehead shines a bright red. A single stream of fire shoots out from it and hits the Shadow square in its chest.

I change back to Fenrir and summon him again. His silver eyes shine once, and Yang starts blurring around the edges, something she notices immediately. "What the…!"

"Try to hit him again with that punch." I tell her. Her smirk is all I need to see.

" _PERSONA!_ " The black-clad woman appears again and delivers a blindingly fast punch to the bear's head. All of its stitches come apart, and black flames start escaping and consuming the entire Shadow.

" **NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!** " It's everything it can muster before it dissolves into nothingness.

Fenrir fades away, but Yang's Persona lingers for a moment, looking down at Yang, and she looks up at her. I hear her whispering. "Sati." Her Persona nods once before fading away too. She then looks at me and gives me a nervous smile.

She then kneels down on the floor. "Yang!"

"I'm okay… just a little tired."

"Are you two okay?" I hear Ren saying from down the hall…

There's no longer a hallway, the archive room now has a normal length.

What the heck?

"Are you alright?" Ren asks again.

"Yes. I'm worn out, is all." Yang repeats.

Ren then turns to me. "Can you explain me what happened?"

I explain Ren the entire battle as best as I can. After I'm finished, he ponders for a second. "A Giant Shadow? I didn't think that's possible."

"Well, we've found many impossibles so far, so one more doesn't do us any harm." Yang jokes from her sitting position.

"She's right, y'know?" I point out.

Ren shakes his head. "Anyway. I get the feeling that we won't find out anything else. We should all go back home." He then turns to leave before Yang stands up.

"Wait! There's one thing we need to talk about."

"Can't it wait for another day?" Ren asks.

"No." Yang says, leaning over slightly while I give her support. "It's just… That thing said a lot of things that I didn't want others to hear." She sighs. "Can you all keep it secret?"

"Of course." I tell her immediately.

Ren for his parts simply shrugs before adding. "I can promise that."

"Thanks." She says before donning a sad smile. "Well, let's go back now. I have a lot to... _reflect_ upon."

 _She'll be fine_. I think with a smile of my own.

 **Friday, April 28th/ Evening.**

After leaving the Reflection and getting back home, we get a call from Dad. There's a jam on the highway back home, so he'll stay the night over at the university.

I make some soup for dinner, and Yang practically chugs the entire bowl. She turns in early, so I decide to go to bed early too.

"Goodnight Mommy. Goodnight guys."

* * *

 _The strength of the heart to face one's fears has been made manifest. Yang Xiao Long has earned the facade to face life's hardships. The Persona Sati._

* * *

Arcana Analysis:

 **Sati (Strength)** :  
Resists: Physical  
Blocks: Ice  
Weakness: Electricity  
Agilao, Maragi, Sonic Punch, Tarukaja

 **Forsaken Bear (Strength)** :  
Resistance: Wind  
Blocks: Ice  
Weakness: Fire  
Strike Attack, Kill Rush, Indifferent Blizzard.

Indifferent Blizzard (Signature Skill): Severe Ice Damage + 25% chance of causing "Distress."


	26. Sa, 4-29

**Sa, 4/29**

 **Saturday, April 29th/ Morning.**

Yang is not feeling _too_ well today. I get a digital thermometer from the bathroom cabinet and put it in her mouth. After a minute I take it out.

"Well, you don't have fever, but it is kinda low. Just above 34 degrees." I tell her.

"Huh, I knew I wasn't feeling so hot." She says with a snort before cracking a huge yawn. She has bed-head and is shivering only slightly. "Man, I'm beat…"

"Try and rest up today. I'll make you some tea." I head to the kitchen and start boiling water. I can't blame her for being like this, after what happened yesterday…

I hear Dad's SUV parking in front of the house. I head to the to greet him and…

… Oh my gosh he looks terrible!

His hair is completely disheveled, eyes are bloodshot and baggy. He stiffly walked into the room, deciding that the floor was a good place to drop his suitcase, and went towards his favorite couch and with a pained grunt flopped right on top of it, kicking his shoes off.

I hesitated for a second before speaking. "Hi Dad. Had a rough night?"

"Some frat members started a party right next to the hotel. It went through the whole night. Couldn't sleep a blink." He sat silent for a moment before letting out a dry chuckle. "Now I understand why Professor Ramsey hated me and my friends."

Yikes! "I'm making Yang some tea. She's feeling bad too. Would you like too?"

"No milk, two sugars. Thanks Ruby." He listlessly says.

This is going to be a long day.

 **Saturday, April 29th/ Daytime.**

I have to call Jaune to postpone our study meeting tomorrow. The rest of the day I'm moving up and down the house checking on both Yang and Dad, who later had developed a huge headache and was sore all over. We all end up having tomato soup for lunch.

After that, they both go take a nap. I pass out on my room's floor.

 **Saturday, April 29th/ Evening.**

By six in the afternoon, both Dad and Yang were starting to feel better, but all three of us are exhausted.

Since nobody is up for cooking tonight, we order one large carnivore pizza, which we all wolf down in a minute.

I'm beat. I go to my room and get changed. I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

* * *

 **A/N (Please read)** :

Hey everyone, a couple of things I want to tell you:

First, in the last chapter (Fr, 4-28), a user left a review where he carelessly mentioned a detail that I trustly disclosed to him through replies to his previous reviews. He didn't have the right to reveal it in the comments though, it was my decision whether I tell you guys or not. However, now I have to confirm it earlier than I was comfortable with.

"Persona: SH" stands for "Persona: Shadow Hunters."

It has literally no impact to the plot of my story. It's just a cool nod to RWBY's lore. I didn't want to reveal this so soon or this half-as**d, but my hand was forced.

And please, don't antagonize the user who revealed the detail before time. I already gave him a piece of my mind, and that's enough for him.

And second, just a clarification on the first "Boss." While it takes some cues from the Shadow Selves from P4, the "Forsaken Bear" is _**not**_ "Shadow Yang." It didn't go berserk the moment Yang said "You're not me!" It didn't become a Persona after it was defeated. And the Arcana Analysis clearly calls it "Forsaken Bear," not "Shadow Yang."

Thanks.


	27. Su, 4-30

**Su, 4/30**

 **Sunday, April 30th/ Morning.**

Today is the last day of April.

I will meet with Jaune today to work on the report. I also have to do those readings as well.

I go downstairs with my laptop bag on hand. Dad and Yang are in the kitchen eating breakfast, so I help myself a bowl of cereal. "How are you two feeling today?"

"A lot better now. Thanks Ruby." Dad says.

"Yeah, sorry that you had to take care of both of us by yourself." Yang says, sheepishly scratching the back of her head.

"Don't worry. Neither of you could help it." I shrug off, taking a spoonful of cereal.

"Yeah, it was really an odd timing." Dad says before turning to Yang. "What exactly did you get, sunshine?"

Yang looks up from her plate. "There was a thing I ate last Friday. It tasted odd, but I shrugged it off." She says with a straight face.

"You better be careful. That iron-stomach will fail you one of these days." Dad says offhandedly.

"Oh, come on. You said you ate way worse things when you were my age." Yang protests.

"Exactly my point. I'm talking from experience. A lot, of experience" He says, earning him a cross look.

Seems like things are back to normal.

 **Sunday, April 30th/ Daytime.**

Yang offers me to drive me to the town. After dropping me in the juice bar, she drives off, saying she'll go to the arcade or something.

I meet Jaune in one of the outside tables. "Hey Ruby! How're you?"

"I'm okay. A bit tired though. Sorry for canceling on you yesterday"

"Hey, it's okay. I didn't waste my time though." He says, producing a flash-drive from his pocket. "I checked out the articles we got and started compiling everything relevant into one document, paraphrasing a few things here and there." He says with a nervous smile. "Thought we could use it as a draft for the report."

"That sounds like a good idea! Here, let me look." I ask him. After setting up my computer and plugging the flash-drive, I open the document. I'm halfway through the archive when a red window pops up on the screen.

 **WARNING! MALWARE DETECTED.**

"Oh FUCK!" Jaune exclaims, putting both hands on his head.

"Don't worry! I'll run the antivirus!" I click on the medkit icon and the red window disappears. After a stagnant minute, a blue window appears, saying that the virus has been eliminated. "There, nothing bad happened."

"What about the archive? Did it burn down or…"

"Let me check." I read the scan details, looking for the document with the draft, but I don't find it. Instead… "Who is Indy?"

At that moment, Jaune's face slowly contorted into a mask of pure dread and his ears became beet-red. "God-dammit, Indigo." He puts one hand over his face.

"Um… Am I missing something here?"

"It's my sister's porn stash. She must have saved it in the flash-drive."

I process what he just said. Then process it again. "Oh…"

I absementedly save the draft on my computer before pulling the flash-drive out and handing it to Jaune. "I should have known better than to take a random drive without checking it first. Man, I'm an idiot."

"Jaune, don't worry. Nothing bad happened. This could've been waaay worse. The draft could have been corrupted, or it could have destroyed my computer completely." I tell him, trying my best to sound reassuring, and then realizing that I did a poor job at it. "Sorry."

After a second he sighs "Yeah, you're right. Still, I should've been smarter about this. What if something did happen? It would've been my fault."

"Maybe." I say. "But look at it this way, now you know for sure that you need to be more careful. It won't happen again unless you want it to happen." I offer a comforting smile.

He remains quiet for a while. "I suppose." He says, though he doesn't sound too convinced. "Anyway, let's continue with this." He says, trying to change the subject.

We spend an hour checking the draft and fixing some minor mistakes, and end up with a very solid outline for the report. We both decide to call it a day and Jaune heads to the bus-stop while I go looking for Yang.

At one moment, I get a text message from Ren.

 _REN: We should meet up to discuss things soon. Can you meet tomorrow? I already texted Xiao Long._

 _RUBY: Sure. We can meet after class._

I send the text and start thinking back to what happened on Friday. A Shadow attacked Yang directly, and in a very personal way. If it hadn't been for her Persona, we'd both…

I shake my head and continue walking, pulling out my phone to text Yang. However, I notice the Velvet Room door out of the corner of my eye. It is still in the same place as before. I stare at it for a few seconds before walking to it and open it.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Igor is sitting across from me, his ever present smile widening after seeing me. "Ah, you've come to use more of our services?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could explain something to me." I start.

Igor raises one eyebrow, but doesn't stop smiling. However, it is Victor who starts speaking. "If your inquiry is about topics related to the place you call the Reflection, we advise you to save your time. The Velvet Room can only assist its guests with the services already expressed."

I frown a little at this, at which Igor speaks again. "The truth is that we can not intervene on this matter. To overcome the obstacles on your way, you have to solve them through your own.

"Now, since you are already here, would you like to fuse new Personas?" Igor offers, his unblinking eyes fixed on me. I guess that it is better than leaving with nothing, so I nod once.

The cards representing my Personas appear on the table, where Igor studies them with rapture. "Hmm… no new Personas since the last time you came, but there's something I might be able to do." He then explains to me the possible results of these fusions. "Are these results acceptable?"

I nod once. With a smirk, Igor proceeds to swipe a hand over the table, the cards dancing in the air and around each other. By the time he finished, there were four new cards on the table. Pyro-Jack, of the Magician Arcana; High Pixie, of the Priestess Arcana; Rakshasa, of the Strength Arcana; and Yatagarasu, of the Sun Arcana.

The cards disappear from the table and Igor speaks again. "These are all the Personas I'm able to fuse for the moment. There are still many more slumbering within your mind, but the only way for them to awake is for you to reach out to others. Always keep this in mind.

"Until then, farewell."

Light surrounds my body and once again I'm in the town. I text Yang and meet up with her near the arcade, where we get onto her bike and ride back home.

 **Sunday, April 30th/ Evening.**

Dinner is uneventful, so Yang and Dad try to fill in the awkward silence with silly jokes and play on words that, to be honest, were awful. But I wasn't about to tell them that.

Yang and I briefly talk about meeting up with Ren tomorrow. Yang doesn't seem to want to object this time around, so we agree on a plan to leave the house.

I haven't done the readings Ms. Goodwitch gave us, so I spend the rest of the night cramming it all until very late in the evening. After finishing, I plop onto my bed, turning only slightly to address Mom's picture. I'm barely awake at this point.

"Goodnight Mom."

…

"Good night guys."

 _Good night. HEE-HO!_

… Wut?

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 1.  
01\. The Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 3 ( **Rank Up!** )  
02\. The Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 2.  
11\. The Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 2.  
17\. The Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. The Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 3.


	28. Mo, 5-1

(reupload, please read the author's notes)

 **Mo, 5/1**

 **Monday, May 1st/ Morning**.

I had a really good night of sleep, odd considering the small freak-out episode I had last night. Since nothing else happened, I decided to shrug it off. But still, that was really weird.

Dad is having breakfast with us this morning, so he decided to make chocolate-waffles. They're really good and have the perfect amount of chocolate chips in them. After we're finished and ready to head out, Dad pulls us back and fishes for something in his pocket. "Alright Yang, first day of the month, so I already transferred your allowance into your account." He announces.

"Sweet! Thanks Dad."

"As for you," he says turning to me "I opened you an account the other day and they gave me this." He produces a debit card from his wallet and hands it to me.

"Wow. Thanks Dad! That's awesome!" I say excitedly.

He quickly runs me through the passwords and stuff before we leave for school, along with the classic "huge responsibility" speech that every dad on TV shows give to their daughters. There isn't a lot of money on my account yet, but it's enough for incidentals.

After that, we both say our goodbyes to Dad and head for the bus stop. When we arrive at the school, Yang heads directly to her classroom while I take my time walking the hallways.

Chit-chat about the incident on the bookstore is still present, but it has been toned down a little, and people are being more kind towards the subject in general. That's one problem less, at least I suppose.

 **Monday, May 1st/ After School.**

Yang and I are meeting with Ren in the school's rooftop, so I lag behind everybody else leaving in order to sneak away to the roof. I'm leaning on a wall, killing time, when I heard a commotion down the hall, accompanied by an indignant "Hey!" I look over and see several books and papers skidding through the floor in front of Weiss. Apparently, someone stumbled upon her and made her drop her things. She stares down the hall for a few seconds before shrinking in her shoulders and kneeling down to pick up her books.

I walk up to her.

"Need help?" I say as audibly as I can before kneeling down too.

Weiss looks up from this mess and looks at me. She is surprised in the least. "I… thank you." She says before returning to the books.

We manage to pick everything up rather quickly and the loose papers she had were perfectly intact. I line up the books I grabbed and hand them back to here. "Here you go. Good as new."

Weiss puts some of the books in her bag before taking the ones I am holding. "Thank you, really." She looks like she wants to say something else, but trails off each time.

"No problem." I say before turning back.

"Wait." She says. "Why did you help me? Don't get me wrong, but… I wouldn't think you'd be doing me any favors. So why did you help me?"

I look at her for a moment before rolling my eyes and speaking. "Because you needed help, silly." At her skeptical look, I decide to elaborate more. "I don't need a reason to help out people or anything. And don't worry, you don't owe me any favors." I add for good measure.

"That's not what bothers me!" She quickly claims. "It's… I have been horrible with you since the first day. I guess I wasn't expecting it, that is all." She suddenly puts the rest of her book on her bag before taking off to the exit, without giving me a chance to speak again.

Well… that was something.

There are less people in the school now, so I head upstairs to meet with the others. When I get to the roof, Yang and Ren are already there waiting. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"Nothing much, just waiting for you." Yang says.

Ren, on the other hand, goes right to the point. "I've been thinking about what happened three days ago. What we found out there… It is completely different from what has been happening from the start."

I step in. "Well, not completely. We know that Tukson was killed because of the Shadows and the Reflection, and that his death caused a lot of people to panic." I shake my head. "But it is true that the way he died is different."

"Not only that. He is the one who went to the Reflection, instead of a Shadow going out after him." Yang points out.

"That seems very likely." Ren says. "Not only that, but it also seemed that the Shadows were feeding directly from his own fears before they killed him."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"When you found that news cut-out, you started to hear Tukson's voice. I think those were his recent thoughts, related to the incident with Vert. I think we all agree that he was scared over the car-accident issue, about what would happen to him."

I think over the whole thing. The evidence does seem to point out that those were Tukson's last thoughts before dying. Then again, there were the track-marks in the middle of the book-store. Slowly, the dots start connecting in my head. I turn to Yang, who started hugging her arms and looked uncomfortable all of the sudden. I look at Ren, who in turn gives me an expectant look, as if he knew what I am thinking.

"So you're saying that a Shadow representing his fear killed him?"

Ren nods. "Yes. The only reason I think that's the case is because Xiao Long was targeted by her fears. I'm certain that if she hadn't awakened to her Persona, that Shadow would have killed her."

"But why did that happen?!" Yang says suddenly. "Why me? Why did that stupid thing had to get in my head like that?"

Ren shakes his head before fixing his eyes to the floor. "Your guess is as good as mine. At this point we can only assume that you were more vulnerable than Rose or myself. As for why it happened." He pauses for a while before starting again. "I… don't know."

Yang and I stare at him for a moment before exchanging a glance. "Wow, you're serious." Yang says, astonished.

I keep thinking over everything we've been discussing just now. I recall everything that Ren told us he knew about the Reflection. No matter how much I try to make sense of it, there's only one logical conclusion. "Something has changed, hasn't it?" I look at Ren, who remains motionless.

He shakes his head before speaking again. "Either way, we can't rule anything out." Ren says. "Whatever is happening, means that there has been a change in the way the Reflection works. We can't assume things will stay like this nor that they will return back to how they were, which means that we need to be ready for anything now."

Yang and I both give a nod of agreement. I note that Yang looks a bit anxious, as if something is bothering her. "Yang, there's something wrong?"

"Your sister wants to apologize to me." Ren says matter of factly. Yang suddenly becomes flustered. "She feels like she wasn't trusting me enough or something like that."

"I am sorry for that." I say.

"Yeah, me too." Yang repeats.

He then turns to Yang. "I admit that I've been secretive about some things, so I understand where you're coming from. I guess I wasn't trusting either of you that much either." Ren takes a deep breath before continuing. "We're working together on this, so there should be more transparency between us."

"Yeah. Thanks." Yang says, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Now that Xiao Long can fight too, she should be able to join us in the Reflection to train her Persona." Ren says. "We still need to be on the watch for any development. I don't want to be caught off guard again."

"Do you think there'll be another attack soon?" I ask.

"It's hard to tell. We need to be able to act quickly." Ren says before looking down for a moment. After a few seconds he looks back up. "I think now's the time to show you the headquarters."

"Headquarters?!" Yang and I ask at the same time.

"Yes. It is the place where I keep my equipment and data. It also has an entrance to the Reflection. It's the entryway I've been using since before I found you that day. I figure that sneaking into a clothes store won't be very efficient in the long run, so we could start using the HQ again."

I personally have no problem, though he could definitely have said that earlier. I look at Yang, who has a frown on her face, which quickly changes to a smirk. "Sure, no problem."

"It is decided then, we'll start using the HQ to enter the Reflection from now on. I'll send an Email to the two of you with the address."

After exchanging Email addresses and wrapping up the meeting, we all head to the exit and leave for our homes.

 **Monday, May 1st/ After School.**

After eating dinner, I head to my room and do some homework before getting ready to sleep. I give my Mom her goodnights before giving a cautious glance at my evoker.

"... Goodnight guys?"

Nothing.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and lay my head on my pillow.

Good night. HEE-HO!

Goddammit!

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. The Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2 ( **Rank Up!** )  
01\. The Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 3.  
02\. The Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 2.  
11\. The Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 2.  
17\. The Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. The Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 3.

* * *

 **A/N** : Last week, I caught a particularly strong flu, so I was pretty much out of service for a few days. However, I realized that I haven't updated the story for a while, so against my better judgement, I sat down and wrote this chapter.

Big mistake.

I wasn't giving my 100 percent of attention to the chapter, and a plot-detail I wanted to adress in the Squad meeting slipped my mind completely until now that I remembered it. I re-worworked the scene to make the necessary fixes. I really don't enjoy taking this kind of measures, but it is the fastest way to make sure everybody gets notified of these changes. I'm sorry for any inconvenience, and promise this won't happen again.

Thanks.


	29. Tu, 5-2

**Tu, 5/2**

 **Tuesday, May 2nd/ Early Morning.**

Dad is already out when I wake up and Yang is downstairs eating a huge bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. I didn't sleep very well last night, so I settle for some toast and tangerine jelly. I sit on the table and start spreading the jelly on the bread. I am very tired. Yang must have picked up on that, and she asks. "Had a rough night?"

"Yeah," I say with resignation. "There's too much stuff in my head…" A thought occurs to me as I glance at her Evoker. "You aren't having problems sleeping, are you?"

"Nope? Why you ask?" She says tilting her head.

"Well… I have like, seven Personas now, and one of them really likes to talk." I bury my face in my hands. "It is getting annoying."

"Yikes. That sucks." We remain quiet for a few seconds before she asks again. "Why don't you switch back to your first one? Or are they all on at the same time?"

…

"I… haven't thought of doing that." I say, lifting my head up as realization dawns upon me, followed by embarrassment.

Actually, now that I think about it, I don't think I've kept Fenrir "equipped" since sunday, and it kinda bothers me. I focus on Fenrir and swipe a finger over my Evoker, and I start feeling different right after, more like… well, me.

I let out a sheepish smile. "Man, I feel really dumb now."

Yang chuckles as she finishes up her breakfast. "Nonsense. You said it yourself, 'too much stuff in your head.'" She suddenly beams the kind of smile you get when you get an idea. "I know what you need. Meet me today after practice at the school gate."

"Okay. If you say so." I say.

 **Tuesday, May 2nd/ After School.**

Practice is a bit lighter today, so I'm not as tired as I am often. I rinse off the sweat I built and head to the school gate, where Yang is waiting already. "So, where are we going?"

"I was thinking the arcade again. That's where I go whenever I want to clear my mind."

I let out a snort. "Well, I won't object that. But I'll pick the games this time."

We arrive to the arcade and Yang talks with the person in the counter, a girl wearing a dark red shirt with lustrous black hair and green eyes fixed in a deep frown. She pays 25 Lien worth of tokens and the girl lets us in. Yang and I spend nearly an hour playing puzzles and platforms, though we spend most of it playing smack-a-wolf and basket and all of those games you get prize-tickets for winning. Even though Yang doesn't play those very often, we both manage to have lots of fun and win nearly a thousand tickets.

At one point, Yang goes to the restroom, so I'm left playing skeeball on my own. I take aim to the 100pts hole and wind the small wooden ball backwards. When I throw my arm forwards though, the ball is no longer in my hand. I turn around and find the same girl from the counter, except now with a black shirt, holding the ball and glaring at me.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asks aggressively.

I start responding, though taken aback. "Um… playing skeeball?"

"Yeah, I can see that! I mean where did you get the tokens you're using?" She asks again.

I stare at her confused. "I bought them in the counter."

"Like, I don't remember giving them to you." She says, squinting her eyes at me. "In fact, I don't remember ever seeing you before."

"What?! I... You." I reel back. What is wrong with this chick?

"So you better tell me right now where did you get these tokens before I call the cops."

"HEY! What is going on?!" Yang asks, running up to us. The other girl becomes visibly shaken at this. I explain to Yang what just happened. She listens intently while slowly bringing a hand up to her face. "Melanie, did it occur to you we bought the tokens from Militia?"

The girl frowns for a second before taking on a dumbfounded and panicked expression.

"Seriously? This is the twelfth time one of you makes a scene out of absolutely nothing!" Yang berates the girl who I assume is Melanie, whom in turn steps back.

"Please, like, don't tell Junior. Both of us have two strikes each now…" She begs before turning to me. "Nothing bad happened! Right?"

Yang crosses her arms and stares Melanie down. "Yeah right. I just heard you threatening _my sister_ with calling the cops." She pinches the bridge of her nose before adding. "I will pretend nothing happened. But next time there's an incident like this, I'll fill in a complaint. Got it?"

The girl nods once and turns to walk away, but not without throwing a last glare at the two of us. Yang sighs tiredly. "Geez, I can't believe those two." She turns back at me and starts explaining. "They're twins, but the two of them have a really nasty attitude, and keep jumping to conclusions. It doesn't help that they both forget that the other also works here, so they're always causing misunderstandings and stuff." She shakes her head. "It's a miracle they haven't been fired already."

"Then why didn't you file the complaint? I mean, if they're that much trouble…" I trail off. To be honest, I'd feel really vindicated if that girl got in trouble instead, but I didn't want to admit it.

"Because I was just angry that she was picking on you for no good reason. No need to make a scene over this. But I _did_ scare her off." She smiles and pulls me to a one armed hug. "After all, nobody messes with my baby sister if I have something to say about it.

"Thanks Yang. But please, don't call me _baby_ sister." I say fighting back a blush. Yang simply laughs at my embarrassment.

After spending all the tokens, we turn in the prize tickets in the counter, where the girl with the red shirt is still sitting and frowning. I exchange my tickets for a grey and white dog-plushie with stubby legs and tie it on my handbag, while Yang simply exchanges hers for random knick-knacks. Then both and Yang make our way back home.

 **Tuesday, May 2nd/ Evening.**

Yang and I picked up up some Vaccuan food on our way home, since dad is arriving late and none of us feel like cooking dinner.

Come to think of it, I don't think I've cooked dinner here yet.

We watch some dumb direct to tv movie about teens trapped in an 80's beach movie until he arrives, and we all eat dinner.

After turning in for the night, I think back to my conversation with Yang.

Time for the truth. "Good night guys."

Nothing.

I lay my head on the pillow, holding my breath for a full minute. Still nothing.

I really should have thought of doing that before. With a sigh, I let myself fall asleep.

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 3.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 2.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 3 ( **Rank Up!** )  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 3.

* * *

A/N: I'm back!

Sorry for this long hiatus. I didn't feel confident to continue writing due to lack of planning, but I worked through that and I'm ready to return. In appreciation to your patience, I'm uploading two chapters **today**. Please leave your reviews on each chapter separatedly, though. Thanks!


	30. We, 5-3

**We, 5/3**

 **Wednesday, May 3rd/ Morning.**

During first period, an announcement comes through the room's speaker. "Good morning, Lads and Ladettes. Just a reminder of the exhibition match this weekend, Monty's Dogs are facing off Mike's Bears to kick off the Rugby Season with a bang… Wot? It's not Rugby? Football?! But the ball is shaped like an egg, you ple~!" The communication is cutted abruptly before that exchange escalates any further. After a minute, the speaker chimes in again. "Don't miss it!" The guy quickly quips before turning the mic off again.

I shake my head and focus back to the lesson.

 **Wednesday, May 3rd/ After School.**

I find Yang on the hallway talking with with some girls from her class. "You go ahead and go home," she says, "I'm hanging with my friends for a while. See ya later."

Well, so much for going back home together. I really don't have anything planned today, so I head back to the bus stop.

When I arrive the neighborhood, I find Dad arriving on his SUV. "Hey Dad! What are you doing?" I notice that he's carrying a grocery bag.

"Hey Ruby! I went to buy ingredients to make chocolate chips cookies." He says shaking the bag a little before frowning slightly. "Wanted it to be a surprise though."

I giggle at this. "Well, it did surprise me. Thanks!" I say earnestly.

He chuckles as we head to the door. "Well, I'm actually relieved someone arrived. It's been years since I made something like this, so I might need some assistance. Wanna help your old man out?"

I beam at him. "Sure, I'd love to."

 **Wednesday, May 3rd/ Evening.**

We spent the next fifteen measuring the ingredients, mixing them in a pot and kneading the cookie-dough until it all blends into one homogeneous mass. Dad then teaches me how to shape down each individual cookie on the tray and add the chocolate chunks (yeah, actual chunks of chocolate) on each cookie. We manage to make two trays of cookies, which dad promptly puts in the oven.

"Well, it's gonna be another hour or so between these get cooked and cool down after." He says, shaking off flour from his hands. "So there's enough time to kill." He motions to the living room, and I follow him. He spends a few seconds surfing channels until he finds a sci-fi, comedy movie. It is very entertaining, and kind of self aware at some points. However, the scene of the cute little aliens that ate their friend made me jump, which in turn made Dad laugh his ribs off.

At one point he heads back to the kitchen to take the cookies out of the oven. Then he returns holding two fresh cookies on a napkin and offers me one. "Don't tell your sister." He says with a wink before taking a bite of his. I also take a bite of mine, it is warm and chewy, and the molten chocolate chunks on top of the cookie are just heavenly. "I see that you like." Dad says with a laugh. "Guess I'm not all that rusty."

"Yep. Diz ar' g'eat." I say through a mouthful of cookie after I shove the rest in. I notice Dad's expression, though, and quickly swallow the treat. "Sorry." I sheepishly offer.

"No, it's not big deal. It's just…" He trails off before shaking his head. "You picked that up from her." He says with a sad smile. "She always forgot about manners when it comes to sweets and that that kind of stuff. She always said that it was an adorable trait, and I never objected." He adds with a chuckle.

We both remain quiet for a few minutes. Then, he starts talking again. "Sorry. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, really. After all, she did raise you on her own, so I can't blame you for picking some of her mannerisms." He takes a deep breath. "Though I wish I could've been there, to watch you grow too."

I keep staring at Dad, slouching on his seat, staring at the floor. It breaks my heart to watch him like this. "Hey, don't worry. I'm still young, there's plenty of stuff you can teach me still." I say comfortingly. "And I want to learn all of those things from my dad."

This manages to make him smile. "And I want to get to know my daughter."

 **I am Thou, Thou art I  
** **Thou hast established a new bond**

 **It brings thee closer to the Truth**

 **Thou shalt be blessed  
** **When creating Personas of the Death** **Arcana** **.**

"Anyway, want to sneak in another cookie before Yang gets back?" He offers with a mischievous grin.

I don't particularly think that's a good lesson to teach. "Sure!"

We put all the cookies in a jar and we eat another cookie each. After Yang arrives, we eat a healthy dinner and have a cookie each for dessert.

I'm too full of sugar and chocolate to do anything else for the night.

* * *

 _Ruby Rose has created the_ _Longing Father_ _Social Link of the Death Arcana_

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 3.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 2.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 3.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 1 ( **Initiated!** )  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 3.


	31. Th, 5-4

**Th, 5/4**

 **Thursday, May 4th/ After School.**

When I reach the track course today, I see the football team training and doing drills on the field in the middle of the area. Coach Port is standing in-between the course and the field, taking turns to look at his tablet and to speak to a dark-skinned boy with dark, mossy green hair, who is wearing a cap with the football team emblem on it and is holding a tablet of his own.

The track team is standing near the benches. I walk to them and approach Sun. "Hey, what's going on?" I ask.

"Coach is talking with the football team manager. Check their training schedule Winchester proposed or something." He lets out a sigh and crosses his arms.

"I don't like that." Says a tanned guy who is standing next to Sun. "He'll just end up half-assing everything again."

Sun turns to him. "Hey, give the man a break. Last year he did try to coach both teams, but the new manager and captain is taking over the coaching this year so that Port can focus on track."

The other guy rolls his eyes at this. "Yeah, right. After the disaster he pulled last year, I'm not surprised he's trying to save his old ass." This guy is really aggravating.

"Hey! You better shut up right now before I make you." Sun growls at him, completely turning towards the guy. He's really angry.

Before anything else happens though, Coach blows into his whistle and calls us all into attention, apparently unaware of what was going on. Practice then begins at its usual pace, but the air still feels tense.

Boys' practice is over, so I join the rest of the girls onto the track course. I watch Sun grabbing a water bottle and sitting on the bleachers. After the girls are done with practice, he's still sitting there, head bowed and a pensive frown in his face.

I walk up to him. "Hey, is everything okay?"

"... Yeah." He says. "Just ticked off a little. It's okay, though."

"Yeah, I can understand that." I tell him. "If you wouldn't have punched that guy in the face, I would've."

This earns me a chuckle from him. "That'd would've been pretty funny." He says before shaking his head. "Look, I know that it doesn't matter what that prick says, but I know that Coach really is taking this serious this time. That oughta count for something, right?"

I shrug at this. I really don't know how to deal with this.

When we walk down the bleachers, Coach approaches us with the same tanned guy as before walking right behind him, directing a vindicated glare at Sun. He tenses up. Coach speaks to him. "Wukong, this young man has informed me that you threatened him earlier today."

"Sir, what happened is…" Sun tries to explain, but Coach interrupts him.

"And now he's found out that someone has gone through his belongings and pilfered his personal phone." He reveals, putting his fists on his hips and staring Sun down. "Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Sun becomes outraged. "Uh, yeah! It wasn't me!" He states hotly.

Coach's brow furrows even deeper. He's not buying it. I quickly step in. "Coach, it couldn't have been him. He was sitting in the bleachers ever since boys' practice was over." I explain.

Coach raises a single eyebrow. However, the tanned guy speaks up. "But he did threaten me!" Port turns back to Sun, an expectant look on his face.

"Yeah, I did." Sun admits with no hesitation. "But that's because he was talking shit about _you_ , sir." This makes both of Coach's eyebrows to climb up to his hairline.

"What?! That's bullshit! I-"

"That will be enough!" Coach states loudly. I look around and several other teammates have lingered around to listen. Coach then turns to the tanned kid. "I will speak to the Principal about the stolen phone, and that's all I'll do on that matter. Understood?"

The tanned guy grinds his teeth before looking away. "Yes sir."

He then turns to Sun. "And you, young man. I'm sorry for having made this accusation, but I won't stand for any threats inside this team. So this will be your only warning, understood?"

Sun relaxes a bit. "Yes sir."

Coach walks away, and the crowd starts to thin down. Sun stays in place for a minute, so I stay with him for a while. He lets out a deep sigh and speaks once again. "I can't believe this almost happened. That dickhead didn't want to own up his mistake so he accuses me just to spite me? What a bitch. I hate it when people do that!" He balls his hands into fists.

"Calm down. Everything got sorted out in the end. Nobody got into trouble." I tell him.

He seems to relax a little, but still seems angry. "Yeah. Thanks to you stepping in. I would've just got more pissed and kicked out of the team." He shakes his head. "But I did mess up… I gotta own up to this now."

He turns to me and rubs the back of his head. "Sorry that you got involved in all of this. Thanks."

"No problem." I say. "To be fair, I was getting pretty pissed too."

"Well, as long as you don't get yourself kicked out of the team like me…" He jokes.

We both laugh for a while before taking off from the school.

 **Thursday, May 4th/ Evening.**

I get back home and start doing my homework before dinner. I get a call from Jaune asking if I could explain him a concept from today's lessons. After I help him out, it is dinner time.

"I heard that there's been a theft at school today." Yang comments.

"Yeah, a guy in track team can't find his phone, so he thinks somebody stole it." I shake my head. "Though this guy isn't very likeable to begin with."

"That might be… But I trust you two to be watchful over your things now, okay?" Dad says. Yang and I both nod.

I'm tired from practice today, so as soon as dinner is over, I give all my goodbyes and head to bed.

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 3.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 2.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 3.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 1.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 4 ( **Rank Up!** )


	32. Fr, 5-5

**Fr, 5/5**

 **Friday, May 5th/ Morning.**

For a friday morning at MOS, people are extremely excited this morning over tomorrow's showcase game. Along the hallways there are students selling and buying hats, badges, foam-fingers, headbands, whistles and all kinds of stuff to support Monty's Dogs. Yang is buying a bunch of headbands for who-knows-why, while I simply buy a badge and pin it on my hand-bag. This excitement might be infectious, but I won't go overboard about a football game.

Yang runs off to her classroom about ten minutes before first period begins. I walk to my classroom when some more commotion erupts up ahead. I see people cheering and whooping as three guys from the football team, including the captain, walk down the hallway waving and shooting finger-guns at the rest of the students in the hallway, making several girls, and a couple of dudes, swoon over. Their captain though, was stretching hands and speaking a few words that I can't make out over the noise of the cheering. I am hard pressed to not believe that he's actually running for school president.

His eyes lock on me and his mouth takes on a predatory smile that makes chills run down my spine. Before I can do anything, he's right in front of me. "So hey, I've never seen you around before. Are you new here?"

"Uh…"

"Well, let me be the first one to welcome you to MOS. Be sure to come to tomorrow's match to cheer on our team..." He says while producing from his football jacket another badge and swiftly pinning it over my breast-pocket, not noticing me stiffening up. "And your _new_ favorite player, Cardin." He winks once before continue walking down the hallway.

I feel an eye twitching. I look left and right to see if anybody's seen what just happened. Luckily for me, everybody was immersed in this or that conversation. I look down at the badge and see that it has a drawing of Cardin's mug printed on it. I quickly remove it and put it anywhere else but on my person.

History lesson is just as aggravating as usual.

 **Friday, May 5th/ Evening.**

After getting back home and having early dinner, I get a text from Ren right as I enter my room. He just opened a group-chat too.

 _REN: Everything is set over the HQ. We can go in on sunday. Is that okay?_

 _YANG: That's fine with me._

 _RUBY: Me too. We'll see you tomorrow in the match, Ren._

 _REN: I won't be going. But you two have fun._

I get a knock from my door a few seconds after and Yang enters. "Can we agree this guy is not a ray of sunshine?"

"Yeah, he's kind of doom and gloom." I tell her, while checking back the chat. "It seems we're gonna train on sunday." I say before glancing at Yang. She's shifting her weight on the doorframe. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good." She says quickly. "I'm just… getting used to the idea of… y'know." She crosses her arms and leans back on the wall, a rueful smile on her lips. "I'm not gonna lie, I'm hyped to fight monsters with you and all, but with what almost happened last time… I guess I just don't wanna mess up."

I give her a reassuring smile. "Yang, don't worry. We both know that this isn't a game. We just have to stick together and we'll be fine."

Yang stands pensive for a second before smiling again. "Yeah, you're right. We're gonna get our game to top notch, right?"

I smile back at her. A honest smile. "Right."

She heads back to her room after saying goodnight. I finish getting ready and snuggle in my bed, saying goodnight to mom and the guys.


	33. Sa, 5-6

**Sa, 5/6**

 **Saturday, May 6th/ Morning.**

Today's the football showcase game between MOS High School and MVJ Academy.

I put on a modest, red tank top and throw a fresh black shirt on top of it. I throw on a comfortable pair of jeans and shoes and get down to the living room. Yang is wearing a less modest yellow tank top underneath her brown jacket and shorts. However, what I find more alarming is that she's wearing six tie-in headbands on each arm and one around her head and two tied on her hair like pigtails, along with an old cap and a bunch of badges pinned on her jacket.

To make it even worse, Dad is practically geared up the same way as Yang, only that with an even older cap and wearing a foam-finger on his right hand.

I can't help it, I laugh at the two of them. "Oh gosh, you look ridiculous!"

"You heard that, Dad? She called us ridiculous." Yang says with a devious smirk.

I stop laughing.

"Yyyep." Dad says popping the "p" in the end, a similar smirk on his face. "That's a shame, really."

My blood turns cold.

"Yeah! Because we were just saving this for her after all." She says as she produces something from behind her back. Something I stare at in sheer horror.

"Oh god no. Please don't! You won't make me wear that, right?" I said in a panic.

"Sorry Rubes, but if you're gonna come with us to the game, you gotta get on the cheering with us." Dad says as he calmly leans on his chair. "That's the law."

"Oh, come on!" I whine. "Are you seriously gonna make me wear a huge dog mask to a public place?" I say pointing at the fabric and foam construct waiting in Yang's hands.

"Come on, It is a family tradition!" Yang says earnestly. "Besides, _everybody_ loves Rebel the Dog."

I puff my cheeks up and grumble between my teeth. "Okay…" I say before taking the mask from her.

I hope this covers my face well enough.

 **Saturday, May 6th/Daytime.**

Turns out that my family isn't the only one overly excited with a showcase game. All over the field's bleachers there are people wearing all kinds of Dogs Gear on them. From headbands to dog-masks, almost everybody in the stands went full fan-mode to support the school is dressed to show just that. And seeing most of these people suddenly makes me feel a bit less embarrassed of having a dog head on my head.

I still hate the thing, though.

We find a spot in the back row and wait for the match to begin. When Monty's Dogs enter the field, the entire crowd erupts in cheers and screams. The cheers keep going strong during the first quarter of the game and well into the second one, where MOS scores an overwhelming advantage on Michael's Bears. At one point though, one player from MVJ knocks out one of our players and he has to be taken to the infirmary. After this, The Dogs start tripping over their feets at most of their plays and literally dropping the ball, quickly losing the advantage they've gained. The tension is getting high in the stands, and people are starting to shout and curse each time somebody messes up. I hear Yang screaming a lot of colorful profanities and Dad has the deepest frown I've ever seen on him. On the field, I notice the team manager furiously scribbling on his whiteboard while Winchester screams order to the team.

Dogs and Bears keep going back and forth in the field and in the scoreboard during the last half of the game, and some people were starting to leave the stands. At the last possible second, Monty's Dogs make a kick that wins them the game by just one point. The people remaining in our stand give some respectful applause, but everybody is mostly tired and or angry. Yang takes a huge swig from her cola and crumples the paper cup before throwing it away, while Dad silently takes his and leaves it on his seat with just an inch of liquid left.

The ride back home is lacking the enthusiasm that we had this morning and is instead replaced by a bitter silence. We're all just lethargic after today's… well, mess of a game. "Well, it could've been worse." I offer hopefully.

Dad and Yang only mutter some words of agreement.

 **Saturday, May 6th/Evening.**

Our spirits haven't improved since we left the school, and nobody feels up to cooking, so we order pizza for dinner. After eating, we all head for bed early.

Yang, Ren and I are going to the Reflection tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N** : Let's get one thing out of the way:

I.  
Hate.  
Sports.

I didn't go into detail with this game, and any future games in this story will hardly have any more than this. We clear? We clear.


	34. Su, 5-7

**Su, 5/7**

 **Sunday, May 7th/ Morning.**

I find a message from Ren in my phone when I wake up. In it there's an address and a time: He wants us to meet in about midday, so I start getting ready at a leisurely pace. Yang is frying eggs and bacon while dad is squeezing some fresh orange juice and making toast. The TV is on in the living room, and is currently broadcasting the weather forecast: apparently, we're in for an unexpected heatwave for the following days.

"Man, school's gonna suck tomorrow." Yang says while passing the contents of the skillet onto three plates. "It is already hot in there, so this is gonna make it worse."

"Yeah, I'm so glad that there are ceiling fans in the classrooms." I say as I sit down on the table and take my plate. Dad sits on the table with three tall glasses of orange juice and a stack of toast.

"It isn't unusual for heat waves this time of the year, but this one really snuck up on everybody." Dad says before spreading butter and bacon on a piece of toast. "I should probably start fixing the AC." He mutters with a note of dread.

"Do you need any help?" Yang quickly offers. I unconsciously start holding my breath.

"Nah, It'll go faster with fewer hands, trust me. You girls enjoy your Sunday and let your old man work, okay?" He says just as he jams the last of his toast into his mouth.

Guess that fixes the "Dad-wondering-what-we-did-today" problem.

Still, I should probably try and bring this issue up with Ren. After today's training.

 **Sunday, May 7th/ Daytime.**

We get off the bus in town, take some lunch at a sushi bar before we start walking towards the address Ren sent us. Eventually we arrive to… a costume store of all places!

It is a two story building with a brownish-gray facade, a front window showcasing two, child-sized mannequins, one wearing an ensemble of tuxedo, cape, top hat and domino mask and the other wearing an orange and blue gi with a really spiky wig. The front door opens and Ren comes out from the store and beckons the two of us to come inside.

"Honestly, this was the last place I'd have thought up to be this super secret headquarters," Yang says, eyeing the place after we enter the store. Inside the well-lit establishment, there are several other costumes hanging on wall racks or piled up on shelves and what-not. On the back of the store is a register, behind is a fly of stairs that lead to the second floor. Besides us three, there doesn't seem to be anyone else in the store.

"Trust me, it wasn't my first choice." Ren says somewhat ruefully. "It's kind of a long story, but I assure you that this is the best location we have for entering the Reflection."

"How so?" I ask him.

Ren closes his eyes for a minute and remains quiet, seemingly in deep thought. Then releases a breath and starts speaking to Yang. "I should apologize first. There are many things I haven't told you yet. I know that you resent me for having been withholding information."

Yang winces a little bit before chuckling. "H-hey, we're cool. Don't sweat it."

Ren nods once before continuing. "I did not want to drop a lot of information on you when it isn't necessary for you to know. I hope you two understand."

Yang and I both nod once before I ask. "So, what is it about this place?"

Ren looks to both of us before letting out a sigh and speaking as calm and collected as ever. "Well, first thing is that the owner of this store is 'Toysmith's' father…"

"… Whose father now?" Yang and I ask at the same time.

Ren's expression twists to one of shame as he puts a hand on his face. "Again, not my idea… Just follow me downstairs."

Turns out the costume store is also a residence, with the apartment in the building's second floor, leaving the store's storage on the basement, where Ren explains that there's where the real HQ is. As we reach the landing of the stairs, Ren opens the storage door…

… And we step into an armory!

On two of the basement's walls there are lines and lines of prop weapons, swords, maces, shields, spears, guns, bows and magic wands carefully arranged on shelves and plastic barrels. On the wall left to the entrance, there's a sort of lounge, with a couple of seats and a coffee table, and past that there's a computer set up and connected to a music speaker, which in turn is connected to a silver-framed mirror for some reason.

However, what drew most of Yang's and my attention is the guy furiously mashing a game controller in front of the computer. He's a short, thick built man, with short, light-brown hair, wearing a beige shirt. Yang and I cautiously approach this person as he's enraptured on the game he's playing, right before the screen dims out and a glowing "Victory" prompt appears on the screen. The boy does a small fist-pump before pushing some more buttons on his controller and closing the game. He picks a bottle of HillSpring and opens it as he turns around to us all of the sudden, eyeing us cautiously.

Or at least, I think he's eyeing us. It's hard to tell with that squint.

"Hi." He simply says, taking a gulp from the bottle.

I look at Yang, then Yang looks at me, then I look back at the boy. "Uh… You must be Toysmith?"

"Ren didn't tell you about me before today, did he?" Yang and I shake our heads and "Toysmith" laughs. "Good, I hate it when people talk about me." He stands up and stretches his arms. "Well, I'm off. Happy hunting, Ren." And with that, he walks towards the stairs and leaves the basement, leaving me and Yang dumbstruck.

"Uhh…"

"Dove's homeschooled." Ren quickly says. "Has been his whole life, so he's a bit… socially insensitive."

"I'd say." Yang mutters.

I think back to what Dove said before leaving. "So wait, he knows about the Reflection?"

Ren nods once. "He doesn't have the Potential, but he has contributed to our mission in several ways. The weapons, Shadow Radar and the HQ are all thanks to him." He motions to the computer and mirror contraption. "But especially this right here.

"He helped me figure out a way to connect one entrance in the real world to any other doorway inside the Reflection." He points out at the mirror and music speaker in turn "By making this mirror vibrate to the right sound frequence, it'll instantly sync-up to the doorway relative to the coordinates we have recorded." He takes a seat in the computer and opens up a map of the Vale. A large portion of the map is highlighted in red, covering most of the shopping district, the plaza and portion of the park, and it is freckled by a few light-blue dots.

"This map shows the approximate extension the Reflection has over the real world. Anything beyond this border doesn't exist inside the Reflection."

"So what, does that world end like a cliff or something?" Yang asks.

"Not exactly." Ren types something on the keyboard and a pink arrow appears next to the border of the highlighted area. "Trying to walk past this line will simply make you loop over." As he says that, the arrow slides to the edge, but turns around just as it touches the line. "This is the best approximation I could make about that world's extension, and we've confirmed that only this area is connected to that world.

"Thanks to Bronzewing though, we can now access anyplace inside the Reflection from here. This will save us a lot of time."

"That's awesome news!" I say.

"Yeah! Though, why were you worried so much that I wouldn't like this?" Yang asks.

Ren on his part scratches his left cheek. "Because… this doorway-thing was wired up since February."

Yang's eyes become wide open and she starts stuttering for a few seconds before pressing her lips thinly together with a frustrated groan. I can't help it but giggle, that reaction is too funny.

"I did say I'm sorry." Ren says before walking towards a shelf and picking up the Shadow Radar from the top-most shelf, then walks back towards the computer and inputs another password on the keyboard. "I'll set the entry point near the park today," he says as he's typing before addressing Yang. "You pick any weapon you'd like."

Yang shakes her head to break herself from her stupor and seems to ponder that suggestion. "Hmm… Honestly, I think I'm good with just my hands." She says with a shrug. "I can get the job done with my body."

"Gah, phrasing!" I mutter.

"So no thanks."

Ren presses enter on the keyboard and stands up. "Makes sense, I suppose." As he's saying this, the speaker started emitting a low hum. Ren quickly pressed a hand on the reflective surface of the silver mirror, which started rippling like in response to the sound. When the speaker turned quiet, Ren's hand fell through the portal. "It is settled now. Let's get started."

He disappears through the mirror, and we follow close behind.

 **Sunday, May 7th/** **Reflection** **.**

We step into the reflected version of the changing room in _Adel's_ and make our way to the park area. After we arrive to the gates, Ren sets up the Radar and gives us the earpieces while I prepare my spear. After a few seconds, Ren speaks again. "Okay, I'm picking a few strong Shadows inside the park. Nothing too dangerous, but you need to be careful."

"Got it." Yang says, cracking her knuckles.

"Are you picking that bird Shadow?" I ask Ren, staring cautiously at the park.

Ren fidgets a bit with the radar before answering. "Not at the moment. But don't let your guard down."

"Okay." I then turn to Yang. "Let's go."

We enter the park and walk towards the playground. Soon after we arrive, blobs of black liquid starts boiling from the ground in front of us, growing hands and a mask on their stubby heads. "Okay, these are way more disgusting."

"Don't worry, these are pretty weak." I tell Yang.

/ _Wait, there's something different about some of these._ /

I look again at the blobs and notice that three of them have a different mask, one that is pink and shaped like a fleur-de-lis with only two squinty eyes. All the blobs start stalking around us, not doing much but staring us down. Yang adopts a fighting pose and asks. "So… we just beat them up?"

"Pretty much, yeah." I see her taking a grim smile.

"All I needed to hear." She rushes to one of the blobs and punches it across its mask, knocking it down, she then turns to one with the pink mask and delivers another punch at it. It reels back a bit, but seems mostly undamaged. One of the blue-masked blobs backhands Yang, making her step back, but looks mostly annoyed than hurt.

"Let me try something!" I say, sliding a finger over my evoker and focusing on the Priestess Arcana. " _High Pixie!_ " A fairy-like girl with electric-blue hair appears above me, rapidly flapping her wings and pointing at the Shadow that attacked last, which is struck by lightning and goes down into a puddle of itself. "Again!" High Pixie shoots another lightning-bolt at one pink blob, but does nothing.

Another pink-blob steps up and casts two lightning bolts above me and Yang. I don't even feel the strike, while Yang yelps and falls down on her butt. The slime that casted the lightning then does something else and green light shines down on all the Shadow, healing the ones that are hurt.

"What the hell!" Yang complains from the ground before hopping to her feet. "That's cheating!"

/ _This isn't a fair game._ / Says Ren from the radio. / _You have to learn its weaknesses and hit it it with it._ /

"Can't you tell us with that magic box you have?" Yang asks hotly.

/ _No, I don't have enough data to make an informed predic~_ /

"Forget it." She says before hitting two fists together. " _SATI!_ "

Yang's Persona drops in front of her, flames burning brightly as she points two finger guns and shoots fireballs to all the Shadows in the playground. The pink-masked blobs all melt into themselves, and the blue-masked ones take considerable damage, but remain "standing."

I close my fist and summon High Pixie again, who casts lightning over all the Shadows, knocking the rest down. "They can't move! Let's kick them down!" Yang suggests, after which she and I rush down to the puddle-fest and stomp, slash, punch and stab all of the downed Shadows, which all melt into nothingness.

"Whoo-hoo! That was awesome!" Yang cheers once before turning back to the road. "C'mon, let's find more!" She runs off while I follow close behind. Soon, we find another horde of the pink-masked blobs, which Yang immediately disposes of with her fire barrage attack. Some of the fireballs miss their mark, but I step in while I change Personas.

" _PYRO-JACK!_ " A pumpkin-head wearing a blue sorcerer cape and hat and holding a lantern appears in the air, letting out a mischievous cackle as it shoots a single fireball that eliminates one of the Shadows, while Yang finishes off the rest.

As Pyro-Jack disappears after defeating wave, it turns to me and gives me a peace sign and a wink with a familiar laugh, and a realization draws upon me.

"You son of a…"

"What was that?" Yang asks, a comically oblivious look on her face.

"Nothing. Let's get moving." I grumble while walking away from the playground.

Yang and I continue fighting wave after wave of Shadows, including another one of those large birds, which easily goes down with a fireball from me or Yang. I try to stick mostly with my older Personas, busting out one of my new ones occasionally, which lets me find out that Rakshasa is a good physical hitter, while Yatagarasu is better up for support. Not terribly useful during normal fights, but good to know at least. For her part, Yang is getting very good at fighting Shadows, putting her physical training to good use as well as learning to handle her Persona, and is reaaally enjoying herself. It's kinda contagious to watch.

At one point, a new type of Shadow pops up in a pair… I think. There are two really tall human bodies without heads, a man and a woman, both wearing elegant clothes and locked together in a musicless dance. The man is holding a fencing sword and above the two of them is a floating black heart with a red mask bolted to it.

"Welp, these two are _heads_ over heels for each other. Eh?" Yang quipped.

An idea occurs to me, stepping towards the floating twins as I swipe over my Evoker. " _Cait Sith!_ " The sword-swinging cat materializes in front of me, his sword taking on a purple glow before it rushes up to the couple, swords clanging against each other before Cait Sith stabs one of the two bodies on the knee, causing the entire Shadow to reel back, the floating heart dropping down a bit. It then casts a gust of wind beneath Cait, causing it to jump upwards before fading away. After it is done, green bubbles start pouring from the Shadow's mask and it winces in pain.

/ _You've poisoned it! Good work!_ /

"Alright!" Yang says just as I fall to my knees, feeling tired all of the sudden. "Ruby!" She screams before snarling at the Shadow and rushing at it. " _Persona!_ " Sati appears and fires a stream of flames at the Shadow couple, which gets incinerated in an instant. Yang's Persona blows off the smoke steaming from her finger before fading away while Yang rushes to help me up.

"Ruby, are you okay?!" Yang says looking me over.

"Yeah, I'm good." I say as I take a step, but then start feeling dizzy again. "Wait… need a minute."

/ _Are you okay?_ / Asks Ren from the radio more calmly. / _Your power output has been extremely erratic and~_ /

"Hey, I can't speak nerd. Care to say that again _in english_?" Yang talks back. I simply roll my eyes at this.

/… _Her powers have been inconsistent. At one moment her powers seem normal and then there's a spike in her readings. That ought to be the cause of her exhaustion._ /

I wince at hearing this. "That'd… make sense. I've been trying out four new Personas I got recently." I explain, feeling a pain pushing the back of my eyeballs. "I _thought_ I'd be okay." I say massaging my left temple. The pain is lessening.

"I… look, I won't pretend I understand all this Persona stuff," Yang says, giving me a concerned look. "But if I could do the thing you do, I'd take it easy." She pauses for a second before shaking her head. "Forget that, I'd totally go nuts with it. But that doesn't make it a good idea."

I frown a little at this, but I shrug it off "I'll start taking it easy then." I say as I straighten up. "I'm good now. Let's continue."

We fight three or four more waves of Shadows before we decide it's enough for today. We rendezvouz with Ren at the entrance of the park and head back to the Doorway. After we return to the real world, I mention Ren about our problem with our Dad.

"So far, he isn't suspicious of anything," Yang elaborates, fidgeting with her hair, "but I know he'll start to wonder at some point."

"So we need need to better hide this or something so that he won't worry." I finally add. "What do you do so that your parents don't find out?"

Ren starts rubbing the back of his head. "Honestly… they kinda also know everything." Yang and I facevault after hearing this. "What can I say? We don't keep secrets from each other."

"You, keeping secrets? I'd never have thought of that." Yang says listlessly.

"That's good to know, but I personally would like to avoid Dad finding out."

At that moment, the door to the stairs opens and Toysmith comes walking with three cardboard rectangles in his hands, handing one to each of us. "Your alibi." He simply says before taking the PC and starting up another game. I look at the card, blink, and stare at it again.

"'Anime Club. Membership Card'? Seriously?" Ren asks incredulous.

"You heard the two of them." Toysmith says without turning. "They need an alibi, and that is as solid and inconspicuous as they can get." He states before falling silent.

We stand there for a few seconds, then walk up the stairs. "Well… that solves our problem." I say. "It doesn't have to be 'Anime Club.' Just saying we're all in a club should suffice."

Ren sighs. "Yeah, I suppose." We arrive to the first floor of the store, and he turns to look at us. "It's just that it isn't that simple to use a club as a cover." He says while closing his eyes. "Anyway, it should work as a cover to your dad." He then looks at his watch. "It is getting late. You girls should get back home."

"Yeah, there are classes tomorrow." Yang says with dread in her voice. "This week is gonna be murder."

I remember that a heatwave is supposed to hit overnight. "Don't even mention it." I agree.

 **Sunday, May 7th/ Evening.**

It is starting to get warmer by the time we get off the bus. After getting back home, we are blown by a dash of cold air and an array of snacks and a pyramid of half-cut, submarine sandwiches in the living room. Dad came walking from his room wrapped in a fluffy, violet bathrobe. "Hey girls! Welcome home." He says with a satisfactory but tired smile. "Got the AC running, aaaand made us dinner. I hope you're hungry."

There's a loud grumble to my right, and I turn to see Yang staring hungrily at the food before saying "Uh-huh!"

We sit together in the couch while eating and watching a Comedy Flick marathon on TV. After the food is gone, I head up to my room and get changed for the night. I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

* * *

Arcana Analysis:

 **High Pixie (Priestess)** :  
Blocks: Electricity.  
Weak: Ice, Physical.  
Skills: Zio, Mazio, Sukukaja, Me Patra.

 **Pyro Jack (Magician)** :  
Resists: Pierce.  
Absorbs: Fire.  
Weak: Ice.  
Skills: Agi, Sukunda, Rakukaja.

 **Rakshasa (Strength)** :  
Resists: Slash.  
Weak: Fire.  
Skills: Power Slash, Kill Rush, Counter.

 **Yatagarasu (Sun)** :  
Resists: Wind.  
Blocks: Light.  
Weak: Dark, Ice.  
Skills: Diarama, Rakunda, Agilao.

 **-o-**

 **Cowardly Maya (Magician) [Data-update]** :  
Weak: Strike, Electricity.  
Strike Attack.

 **Frivolous Maya (Empress)** :  
Blocks: Electricity.  
Weak:Fire.  
Mazio, Media.

 **Arctic Raven (Hermit) [Data-Update]** :  
Blocks: Wind.  
Weak: Fire.  
Bufu, Tarukaja.

 **Ardent Dancer (Lovers)** :  
Resists: Strike.  
Weak: Fire.  
Garula.


	35. Mo, 5-8

**Mo, 5/8**

 **Monday, May 8th/ Morning.**

The heat outside is unbearable. I'm half-tempted to call in sick just to stay in the fresh environment of the house, but I still start getting ready for school.

After getting off the bus to school, Yang and I find ourselves with a commotion of people. Students and professors were all crowding the school gate, in front of which was a caravan of trucks parked in a line. A few seconds after, and an army of workers march out of the school and board the vehicles and drive off. As they're getting away, I get a glimpse of an insignia painted on the side of each truck: A light blue Snowflake.

"Huh, I wonder what was that about?" I say.

"No idea." Says Yang while listening to the crowd's mumbling and gossiping as everyone enters the school's yard.

"What were they doing in here?"

"More time wasted. I wanna get inside already!"

"Isn't one of Schnee's kids in this school?"

"I heard that the company wants to buy the grounds near the lighthouse for a new mall."

"Why did S.C. send a bunch butlers to a place like this?"

A loud feedback cuts through the rumoring and everyone turns to see Principal Ozpin holding a megaphone and wincing at the sound he just made, before speaking through it. "Sorry about that." He says apologetically before continuing. "I'm sure everybody is confused regarding this unexpected visit to our school." He says with certain disdain before donning a coy smile. "But I'd recommend discussing it _inside_ the school building, and enjoy of the newly installed Air Conditioning system."

And with that, he swiftly steps out of the way as people start walking into the building. Inside, the air is cold, and there's an almost constant flow of air through the hallways. I hear people sighing and moaning in delight and basking in the lack of heat. The general mood in the school seems to have greatly improved. The classroom is full of energy and enthusiasm, even Ms. Goodwitch's scowl is absent from her face… but she's still not smiling.

However, I notice that Weiss doesn't seem to share everyone's mood, and instead seems a little… peeved.

 **Monday, May 8th/ Lunch.**

During lunch break, I sit in a table with Jaune and Velvet, discussing whether to do something after classes are over or not. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Weiss sitting alone in a corner, head bowed and barely picking at her salad. I make a frown and excuse myself to go sit with her.

"Hey Weiss. Everything cool?"

She looks up at me, a small scowl on her face. "Please, you don't have to play dumb, you know." She says bitterly.

"I… am not playing anything." I say as kindly as I can. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

"As if you don't know."

"I don't!" I tell her. She stares at me for a few seconds, eyes slowly widening as if realizing something.

"You really don't…" She trails off and looks back at her bowl of salad. "Do you know who installed the air conditioning?"

"Hmm…" I start to ponder. "I think I heard someone saying it was… Schnee…" Everything clicks all at once, and I mentally slap myself for not realizing it sooner. "Oh…" is all I can say.

Weiss sighs and takes a bite out of her salad. "Please understand, I didn't ask for this." She says. "He… my father decided last second to install the AC on the school just because I attend here and the weather changed." She says while glancing around at everybody.

"Does anybody think otherwise?" I ask

She shakes her head. "If they do, they're polite enough to not bring it up. But I'm sure somebody thinks that 'Miss Schnee couldn't afford to break a sweat.'" She says while stabbing a piece of lettuce with her fork for emphasis

"Why doesn't Principal Ozpin explain things over the Com system?" I ask.

"Honestly, I appreciate that he is not making a big deal out of this. I wouldn't blame him if he actually didn't understand what happened either." She says with a hint of disdain in her voice, accentuated by another vicious stab. "This is typical of him. Can't he just…" she trails off once again, "Forget it. This isn't your problem." She says, not pettily, but apologetic.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you should be by yourself just being pissed off."

"I'm most certainly _not_ 'pissed off.'" She argues.

"Whatever. You're upset, and you _need_ to get this whole thing out of your head." I say firmly. "Look, I was talking with Jaune and Velvet about hanging out after classes today. Would you like to join?" I offer.

Weiss looks at me in disbelief before talking. "I wish I could, but…" She trails off once again, but then shakes her head. "Actually, I could. Sure, I can hang out for a minute or two." She says with a haughty smile.

"Cool… I guess." I say enthusiascally and hoping I didn't get myself into a wolf's maw.

 **Monday, May 8th/ After School.**

After learning that Weiss is joining us, Jaune is thrilled while Velvet becomes a bit cautious. We head out to the juice bar and all order fruit smoothies to drink (Weiss orders a diet smoothy) and sit down just talking and laughing. Weiss doesn't talk much during this time except when talking about school and assignments, and seems sort of put off by Jaune's attempts to strike up conversation with her. She's is mostly just listening intently to all of us talking, but somehow, I can tell she's content with just that.

After a while, Weiss gets a text message, excusing herself and leaving with a sigh. Velvet also excuses herself, so all three of us decide to just head back to our homes. I share a bus with Velvet up until the next stop where she gets off. As she's leaving, a tall man with greying black hair and a stubble gets on the bus and walks past me, so I don't pay any mind to him. After a minute though, I start feeling like someone is staring at me, so I turn around.

There's nobody else in the back but the same man, who is currently staring at the window. I shrug it off and wait for my stop to arrive.

 **Monday, May 8th/ Evening.**

Dad turned off the AC back home to avoid overheating the device. The heatwave is still in full force, but the residual coldness of the AC being on the whole day plus the fact that the sun has set make it somewhat bearable.

After dinner and one scoop of ice-cream, I go to my room to do homework and get ready to bed.


	36. Tu, 5-9

**Tu, 5/8**

 **Tuesday, May 9th/ Morning.**

When I wake up, it is unbearably warm in my room. I'm sweaty and sticky, and all my bed covers have been discarded to the floor.

Also, I somehow got naked overnight.

The door bursts open and Yang pops in. "Ruby, are you awa…?" She stops in place as she sees me. With a yelp, I roll off my bed away from the door and fall behind it, hastily picking up a blanket to cover myself and peeking over the edge. Yang has an amused smirk. "Did I interrupt something?"

My face burns with embarrassment. I pick a pillow and throw it at her, which she swiftly dodges. "What is it?" I ask her, with no lack of anger in my tone.

"Oh, don't be so ashamed. I sleep naked too," she winks.. She then drops that shit-eating smile and starts explaining. "Seriously though. The AC… _kinda_ short-circuited last night and busted up a fuse, and we blacked out overnight."

I glance over at my alarm clock and see that the display is blinking. "Damn. What time is it then?"

"We're good, but we gotta move fast if we want to get school on time. Dad's already fixed the power, but he doesn't want to run anything for a while, so no hot water this morning." She suddenly smirks again. "We _could_ shower together, though."

Another pillow goes flying and nails her in the face. I rush up and close the door. "You go first. I… I'll clean up my room a little first," I fumble to say through the door. I can clearly hear Yang's snickering down the hallway.

I wipe a hand across my face and pick up my pajamas, covers and get ready to head for the bathroom.

 **Tuesday, May 9th/ After School.**

Thankfully, Yang was graceful enough to stop teasing me for the rest of the day. Not that she had many opportunities today anyway, since we both have practice with our teams. However, since it is too hot to do our normal training, track practice conforms on stretching and aerobic exercises, and even then Coach Port decides to dismiss everyone early. No one wants to linger on the field any longer, so everybody heads off to the showers and go home.

After taking a shower, I head for the gate when I find Velvet standing near the door to the field and staring at it with a nervous frown. I decide to walk over to her. "Hey Velv. What's going on?"

She gives a startled yelp at first, but calms down after seeing me. "Oh, hi Ruby. I was just… um…" She fidgets with her hair as she speaks before blurting. "Looking for my cellphone! I think I dropped it somewhere."

I look at her hands, and see that she's clutching a smartphone in them. I point to it. "Um, Velvet?"

She looks at it and her eyes open comically wide. "Oh, bloody… Welp, I found it." She laughs nervously, which slowly becomes an awkward chuckle.

I raise an eyebrow. "Is everything okay?" I ask her.

She sighs. "No, I…" She trails off, unsure of what to say. Finally she takes a big breath and speaks again. "I'm tired of being so awkward all the time." She confesses.

"Whenever I'm around people, I'm afraid of what they might think or say, and I always get so nervous because of that that I end up tripping over my own feet or blurting out some nonsense."

"But you aren't awkward all the time," I counter. "The other day you were joking and laughing with us at the cafeteria."

"Yes, but yesterday with Ms. Schnee I was so nervous I didn't say a word, remember?" she points out.

I recall yesterday's afternoon. I can't really remember whether her claim is true or not. "Honestly, yeah. You kinda fell back to the background," I offer sheepishly.

" _That_ 's what I'm tired of," Velvet begins, raising her voice." I'm tired of not being worth a second look. I want people to stop noticing me getting flustered and nervous and instead…" She pauses momentarily. "And instead…" She trails off again, her voice lowering to its usual tone and poking her fingers together. "I don't know what else, actually."

"I see…" I say looking back at the field. "So, you wanted to join track team?"

"… Something like that," she admits. "I thought that by joining a team I'd be able to show people what I'm capable of." She blushes a deep crimson. "But then I saw the women's uniform and… well, y'know."

I suddenly become self conscious of that fact. I cough into my hand. "Yeah, well… it could be worse."

"I then started thinking of how embarrassed I'd be, and then what would happen next and… I just couldn't bring myself to it." She bows her head and lets out a deep sigh. "Gosh, I'm hopeless."

"Well, I wouldn't say that," I tell her while putting a hand on her shoulder. "Your plan of joining a club is actually a good idea."

"But there aren't many sport clubs that are still letting people join. And I'm still not confident about joining any of those." She explains.

"Still, it is a good idea," I reiterate. "Tell you what. I'll help you find something that'll help you stand out more. Sound good?"

Velvet looks up, surprised. "Really? I- I couldn't ask you to do something like that for me."

"I figured you wouldn't. That's why I'm offering it." I stretch my hand to her. "What do you say?"

Velvet fidgets a little more before taking my hand. "Sure, let's do that." She takes on a relieved smile. "Thank you."

We talk a little more before I get a text from Yang.

 _YANG: Hey, were d1 with practice. Didja go home alrdy?_

I reply back and say goodbye to Velvet before heading for the bus stop. I meet with Yang and wait for a bus that isn't too crowded to arrive.

 **Tuesday, May 9th/ Evening.**

When we arrive home, dad is passed out on the couch with an electric fan at full blast on top of the coffee table. We manage to wake him up without incident and he reveals that the AC is a goner. "I don't think I can repair it this time. Half the pieces are hard to come by, so it'd be better to buy a new one." He lets out a defeated breath. "Sorry about that, girls."

"It's not your fault," I comfort him.

Yang pulls at the neck of her shirt. "Yeah, it still sucks though."

We make simple ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner and watch some TV with the fan on. The weather report says that the heatwave isn't letting up until next weekend.

We all decide to have a full bowl of ice cream for dessert tonight.

Thankfully, there are other two similar fans for our rooms, which dad already brought up from the basement. It isn't air conditioned, but at least the heat will be easier to handle. I change into loose pajamas and make a point of locking my door.

It takes some time for sleep to arrive.

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 3.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3 ( **Rank Up!** )  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 3.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 1.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 4.


	37. We, 5-10

**We, 5/10**

 **Wednesday, May 10th/ Morning.**

During homeroom, Ms. Goodwitch makes an announcement. "Listen students. I must remind you that we will be having the Midterm Exams the week after next." A few groans follow, but Goodwitch remains indifferent to the complaints. "It should go without saying that you need to take your time to study what we've covered so far if you don't want to fail. That includes the additional readings I've assigned, so make sure to review those again."

More protests and grumbling comes from the students, but a quick glare from the teacher manages to quiet down the room. The lecture has a tense atmosphere for the rest of the morning.

 **Wednesday, May 10th/ After School.**

When the last bell rings, Jaune walks up to my desk. "Hey Ruby, I was wondering if we could hang out to review for the exams. It'd suck if any of us gets caught off guard with Goodwitch… so, preparedness for the win, right?" He offers.

"Sounds like a good idea," I reply, before I have an idea too. "I'll ask Velvet to see if she wants to join."

"Alright," Jaune says before turning to see Weiss leaving the classroom. "I'll ask Weiss too. The more the merrier!" he adds before following her out the classroom.

I walk up to the back of the room, where Velvet is finishing packing up her things. "Hey Velvet, doing any better?"

"Hi Ruby. Yeah, kinda. Wha's up?"

"Jaune and I are going to the library to study for a while. Wanna join us?"

Velvet seems to wilt a little, though she's still smiling. "I'm sorry. But I already have plans for today."

As if on cue, a door slides open and a second year student with short brown hair with caramel-colored bangs falling down the right side of her face steps in. She's wearing a cappuccino-colored scarf around her neck (even though it is still hot outside) and stylish sunglasses. She sees Velvet and confidently walking up to the two of us. "Hey Velvs. Ready to go?" She asks.

"Jus' a second," Velvet announces before slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Oh! This is Ruby, the classmate I talked to you about," Velvet explains to the girl before turning to me. "Ruby, this is Coco. She's been my friend for a really long time."

I look at her with an amiable smile. "Nice to meet you, Coco."

For her part, Coco pulls her glasses down and does a once-over of me before smiling. "Likewise. Love your hair, by the way."

"I… uh, thanks! Yours is, um… pretty, too."

Really smooth, Rubes.

Coco chuckles a bit before pushing up her glasses. "Okay Velvs, let's get going," she says before walking to the door. Velvet turns back to me as she's following.

"Sorry. We can meet up again some other time."

"Sure, no problem," I tell her. As Velvet leaves the room, Jaune comes back in, looking a bit dejected. "Weiss didn't want to come?" I ask him.

"No," he sighs before quickly adding, "But it's cool, though. She says she studies better on her own, so I didn't want to impose."

"Well, guess it is the two of us today, then," I say. I pull out my phone and type a quick text to Dad and Yang before heading with Jaune to the library, where we spend most of the afternoon reviewing past lessons. We both decide to put off the mid-year report research for when we're done with these exams.

 **Wednesday, May 10th/ Evening.**

Yang is studying in the living room, so I help Dad out with the food and cleaning up around the house. There's nothing much else to do after dinner, so we all sit around the TV and watch a dumb comedy or something before heading to bed.


	38. Th, 5-11

**Th, 5/11**

 **Thursday, May 11th/ After School.**

It's been cloudy throughout the entire day, but it's still pretty warm by the time I get to the track course. Coach is having the boys running drills while the girls are either gossiping or swooning over some of the guys from the football team, who were also practicing over on their own field. I decide to try and talk with the girls who aren't staring at the jocks. Unfortunately, there wasn't much I could relate with them and eventually left the conversation.

After about fifty minutes or so, Port calls us out, "Alright, ladies. You're up! Let's start with the warm-up."

I stand up from the bleachers and walk up to the track…

… The next thing I know, I'm looking up at the sky with the entire team standing around me, expressions of concern and curiosity plastered on their faces. My head hurts.

"Ms. Rose, how many fingers do you see?" Coach asks while holding a finger in front of me.

"Only one, Coach," I mumble while gingerly sitting up. My brain feels all jumbled. "What just happened?"

"A football came flying and knocked you out," Sun explains. "It was kinda funny." He chuckles.

Thinking about it, I suppose it might have been funny. Then again, I just got hit in the head by a pig-skinned projectile, so I probably need to straighten out my thoughts a bit more.

"Is she okay?" I hear someone calling a few steps away. I've recovered enough to tell who it is, and soon enough I see Cardin standing just outside of the crowd, a look of actual concern on his face. It looks really odd on him, in my opinion.

"She's fine, Mr. Winchester," Port slowly states - almost cautiously - as if he is carefully picking his words. "Ms. Rose here won't have any lasting damage, so there's no need to worry."

Cardin lets out an overly long sigh as his expression changes to a smug smirk. "Whew, that's a relief. I'm _really_ sorry for this accident," he begins, earning a quiet groan from Coach. "I was just making sure nothing bad happened, as any good captain would do. I'll let you all know, if anything had happened, I would have definitely done everything in my power to fix it in an instant."

I frown at his condescending tone, while also looking at everybody else around me. Some of the guys let out awkward coughs onto their fist while Sun makes an exaggerated eyeroll. The other girls just look up to Cardin in admiration, which he basks in while holding up his air of confidence and entitlement.

I don't know if it is because of the hit to my head or that creepy stunt he pulled last week, but I feel extremely compelled to stand up and tell him...

"You're a jerk." Everybody goes dead quiet in that instant.

I look around and see people with varying expressions of amazement, surprise, fear… and Sun grinning like he just witnessed the greatest thing in the world… I said that out loud, didn't I? Even the football team has stopped their training to watch the unfolding scene. Cardin, for his part, is completely stunned, and even sounds astonished when he speaks again, "Excuse me?"

"WELL! I think that everybody has wasted enough time now!" Coach hastily cuts in, clapping his hands while also giving both Cardin and me a reproachful look. "How about we just continue where we left and forget this incident happened?"

Everybody silently agrees and casually walks away as if nothing had happened. I walk to the starting line in the track course while shooting some glances at the departing football team. Cardin is giving me an unreadable look, but considering his mild frown, I highly doubt he's really going to drop this.

Practice is tense, and I'm actually getting a lot of mean looks from some of the other girls. I ignore them the best I can and focus on the training. Everybody is quick to leave after practice is done, so I rinse off the sweat in the showers and head for the school building. I'm walking down the hallway when _the last person I want to see_ calls out from behind me. "You, wait a second."

I fight back a groan as I turn and look at Cardin dead in the eye. He wastes no time to start talking once he reaches me, "What was that all about?"

I sigh. "Look, I am sorry. I-"

"I didn't ask for an apology!" he reiterates before continuing, "What's the matter? I apologize for the _accident_ , and still get called a jerk? How does that work?"

"Yeah, you did, and yes, it was an accident," I calmly reply through clenched teeth. "But you also used that whole incident to boost your own ego."

He frowns at me. "That is not what happened."

"You went out of your way to draw everybody's attention on you and then held it in place. That is boosting up your ego," I explain with my arms crossed.

"Well, for your information, I was actually... improving the team's morale!" He says after fumbling with his words. "They don't need to see their captain as uninvolved or careless on these matters."

I fight the urge to facepalm. "One: you just came up with that. And two: That is still being egocentric," I point out to him before shaking my head. "Look, I'm sorry for saying that, so let's just drop this, okay?"

"No, it's not okay," Cardin protests while also crossing his arms, "because you'll still think I am this huge jerk, and I won't stand for it." He lets out a sigh, "Look, whatever you think about me, the truth is that the team doesn't need that kind of reputation going on. 'Specially not after their performance in that showcase match. So I can't allow any negative opinion affect them or me.

"So, either you take that back or I'll have to show you that I'm actually a cool guy."

I tense up after hearing that. "You're getting pretty close to becoming a harasser... You know that, right?"

"Then that's just something else I have to change your mind about," he decides with a confident smirk, placing both fists on his hips.

 **I am Thou, Thou art I  
** **Thou hast established a new bond**

 **It brings thee closer to the Truth**

 **Thou shalt be blessed  
** **When creating Personas of the** **Emperor Arcana** **.**

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

"Anyways. The guys should be done with the warm-down and wondering where I am." He turns around and heads back out.

I hang my head low and defeatedly sulk away to the school entrance. "Wow, you look terrible!" I hear Yang saying as I reach her. "Everything okay?"

"I really, _really_ don't want to talk about it," I curtly reply.

However, Yang decides to try and cheer me up during our ride back home with some obscene jokes. Honestly, most of them are gross, but she does manage to make me forget about the whole incident, if only a little.

 **Thursday, May 11th/ Evening.**

After having dinner, Yang and I study for a while in the lounge while Dad watches TV at low volume. Even though we're all being quiet, it is a nice moment we share.

I study for as long as my eyes can stay open on their own, so I head directly to my room after I'm done and pass out on the bed as soon as my head hits the pillow.

* * *

 _Ruby Rose has created the_ _Football Captain_ _Social Link of the_ _Emperor Arcana_

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 3.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 1 ( **Initiated!** ).  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 3.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 1.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 4.


	39. Fr, 5-12

**Fr, 5/12**

 **Friday, May 12th/ Lunch Time.**

The heatwave is supposed to end today, and the overcast weather is certainly confirming the meteorologist's prediction so far.

During break, I ask Yang to go to the rooftop and eat lunch together. I don't particularly want to go sit in the cafeteria today because I didn't want to risk running into Cardin. My disdain must have shown because Yang asks about it. "Is everything okay? You've been tense since this morning."

Just down play it. No need to get her involved. "It's nothing I can't handle. Just a bit annoying."

Yang, on her part, simply raises an eyebrow. "Uh-huh," she mutters before taking a bite of her food, "Seriously though, you look like you could explode any second. You need to relax a bit."

I sigh. "Yeah, I do. I'm just… irked, I guess." I futilely try to explain. However, Yang simply smiles and shakes her head.

"Well, that won't do. If you're like this now, you won't keep it together next week with the midterms," she then shoves the rest of her sandwich in her mouth and continues between chews. "An' ah 'noh juz 'e f'oluzion foh dat."

I blink in confusion. "Uhh… what now?"

Thankfully, she finishes swallowing before speaking again. "Meet me after class is over. See ya later!" And with that, she pulls her phone out as she heads back in.

Okay, this is going to be interesting. I go back in too, wondering what she's planning.

 **Friday, May 12th/ After School.**

I head right to the gate after class ends and meet up with Yang before walking into town. After a few minutes of just walking and not really talking much, I begin to notice a variety of clothing stores intermingling with barbershops and beauty salons. I feel strangely uncomfortable, so I ask, "So, I guess we aren't going to the Arcade again, are we?"

"Nope. I said you need to de-stress," she says while turning a corner. "So, I booked us a little treat for the evening!" She then waves a hand at a building a few steps away on the street. When I see it though, I stop right in my tracks and stare at the sign of the business in disbelief.

"Seriously? You brought me to a spa?" I ask incredulously.

"You're welcome. I always come here when I've had a rough week, so I figured it'd be a good idea for you to take their anti-stress treatment."

I look at Yang and then at the spa sign again. "I… don't know what to say. I don't even _think_ that it'd be my thing."

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it," she challenges while grabbing my hand. "Come on, or we'll miss our appointment."

"What? No, wait! I dun' wanna!" Even as I protest, she drags me into the establishment.

The next hour is… To be fully honest, the most relaxing sixty minutes in my entire life. After getting over some awkwardness and tension, the second the treatment started, I became complete mush. If I didn't know better, I'd say that I fell asleep on the massage table. During the whole time, my mind is completely blank.

After the hour is over, we check out our bags and head out of the building after Yang pays for the service. The sun is already setting, so we start walking to the bus stop down the lane. "So, what didja think?" Yang asks.

"It was… nice. I actually enjoyed it," I contently reply.

"See? I knew you'd like it," Yang grins before she happily sighs. "Guess you can now forget about whatever was bothering y-"

A guy crashes into us and snatches my handbag right out of my hand before running past us. "My bag!"

"HEY! GET BACK HERE!" Yang screams before following right behind the thief, while I chase after her in a panic. As we chase him, I see the thief approach a very tall man who is walking on the same lane as us, and he stops in place after seeing us. However, the man steps aside and lets the guy run past him. Luckily, Yang is close enough to grab the robber and pull him down to the walklane, ending the chase.

As I stop to catch my breath, I glare at the man who let the dude past. "Why didn't you help? You could've stopped him!"

The man, who must be at least six feet tall, has a very angular complexion. His black hair is neatly kept with graying sideburns. He regards me with contemptuous, blue eyes, before gesturing to his hand, which is carrying a walking cane. "I couldn't," he succinctly answers before walking off.

I turn back to Yang, who was holding my handbag while the robber runs off screaming bloody murder. "Here you go, sis. Without a scratch."

I take the bag from her and look her over. "Thanks. But what about you? Did you get hurt?"

"Nah, that guy broke down the moment I caught 'im. It was hilarious."

"Yang! There's nothing funny about this! That guy could have seriously hurt you!" I admonish.

"Psh, I'd like to see him trying."

"Yang!"

"Hey, hey. Calm down. I wasn't letting my guard down, okay?" She puts her hands on my shoulders. "Look, I know I'm very laidback and all that, but when I'm serious, I _am_ serious. _Especially_ if people mess with my loved ones." She gives me a warm smile. "You don't have to worry about your big sis so much."

I frown a bit. "I still do, though. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Aww, thanks Rubes," she coos while wrapping me in a tight hug. "I also worry about you, though. Even in… that other business, I worry that something might happen to you." She holds me closer. "And I don't want that to happen to _anyone_ I care for, not if I can help it."

She quickly breaks the hug and starts walking down the lane. "We should get home. It's getting really late, and I don't want to worry dad."

We run back before the last bus departs and head back home. We agree to not tell dad about this incident.

 **Friday, May 12th/ Evening.**

Turns out that Dad got caught up in traffic and he'll arrive later tonight. Yang and I take it easy for the night and gather some leftovers to make a sandwiches for dinner. After Dad gets home, we all sit down to eat. Dad is very quiet through most of dinner, and after he finishes eating, he heads into his bedroom with a short "'night."

"Why was he so gloomy?" I ask Yang.

She simply shrugs and looks distant. "Something must've upset him today. Don't pry, though. Trust me, it'll pass."

"Okay." I'm still worried about him, but there's really no point in inquiring any further right now.

It has gotten very late, so we both head to our rooms. I'm all out of energy to do anything else anyway.

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 3.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 1.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4 ( **Rank Up)**.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 1.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 4.

* * *

 **A/N** : Hey people. I just wanna give a shout out to May Yuki, who's joined my proof-reading team ever since chapter 36. Thanks a lot for the help, buddy.


	40. Sa, 5-13

**Sa, 5/13**

 **Saturday, May 13th/ Daytime.**

The heatwave has finally ended, and we're treated to a brisk weather this morning.

After getting ready for the day, I get a call from Jaune, " _Hey Ruby! How's it going?_ "

"I'm good. How about you?"

" _I'm okay… Hey, do you think we could hang out or something? I need to get my brain off the books for a while._ "

"Sure, no problem." Honestly, I could afford to take a break from studying, so I set up to meet with Jaune at that takoyaki stand in an hour or so. I head out and make my way to town.

When I get to the stand, Jaune is already sitting on the bench with a paper tray in hand and another sitting next to him. He looks up smiling, and hands me the second tray. "Here, treat's on me today."

"Thanks," I say while taking the tray and digging in. "So, what've you been up to?"

"Meh, nothing much," he answers after eating another octopus ball. "Just… burning my eyebrows away, y'know," he jokes while shrugging. "But I've been wanting to go out and do something else for a while. I feel like I understand enough of the materials for the exams, so I figured a break wouldn't hurt."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," I agree, "Besides, we still got one week left before midterms start."

"That's exactly what I thought! Good to see we agree," Jaune responds, getting excited before scratching his head. "I was thinking maybe we could… I don't know, go shopping or stuff?" He offers with hesitation.

I finish the last of my takoyaki and throw the crumpled tray into the garbage can. "Well, I'm not really into that kind of stuff…" I trail off, glancing at my sneakers, "but I do need new shoes, so why not?"

"Alright," he replies.

Jaune and I explore the town to see what it has to offer. Our first stop is the shoe store where he helps me search for a new pair of shoes. I find two pairs that I really like while Jaune grabs a pair of gray and white tennis shoes, offering to pay for all three pairs.

Once we finished, we head over to a curiosity shop. One section is filled with build-up models, anime figurines, and pendants while another has a variety of fascinating items such as moving metallic contraptions, hourglasses filled with gel and water, and panes of glass filled with colored sands and glitter that shifted each time you flip it to any side. I continue browsing the store, staring at the mesmerizing knick-knacks and picking up a double-sided hourglass with red and black gel. Jaune doesn't find anything that interests him, though.

After that, we head to the local bookstore, which has once again opened. There's plenty of books to choose from, besides reference books and workbooks. I pick up a romantic novel for myself, while Jaune finds a mecha manga volume and another one I only catch a glimpse of before he covers it up, "Is that about… Snake people?" I ask him with a quizzical look.

"Uhh… Yeah, snake people. It's an action comedy. Yep, definitely nothing dirty about this," He stammers and lets out a nervous laugh.

"Cool! Could you lend it to me when you're done?" I ask, giving him a knowing smile.

"I… don't think it'd be of your taste," he finally confesses, which earns him a giggle from me.

After paying for the books, we head back to the food court and get something to drink. I quickly type a message to Yang and Dad to tell them how I'm doing while Jaune's talking. "Man, I really needed that break. These last few days have been so dull that I thought I'd die of boredom," he playfully comments.

"Yeah. Sorry we didn't do something more exciting today, though. But I'm all tuckered out of excitement for a week," I apologetically explain.

"Meh, it's okay. I've had it worse when Olivia drags me to one of her shopping sprees, and don't get me started on Shani!" He lets out a fond laugh. "They're a nightmare."

"That's a big house you have," I offhandedly observe.

"Oh, trust me, 'big' is putting it lightly when you live with se-six sisters." He points out, making me _inhale_ some of my sloshy in surprise, choking me, _and_ giving me a brainfreeze at the same time.

Yes, it's as painful as it sounds.

After I finally recover, I ask, "Never a dull moment there then, huh?"

"Yeah. But things have been changing. What with each starting to leave home, pursuing their dreams and all." His smile turns a little sad, "Each of them has done so much… that they inspire me to do something big, y'know? Be a winner."

"That's very sweet, Jaune," I comment before putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you will someday."

His smile widens. "Yeah, someday."

We spend a few more minutes just talking before we both head back to our homes. On the bus I get into, I spot the same man I saw on Monday, sleeping on his seat with his face pressed against the window. I pay him no mind and sit near the exit.

 **Saturday, May 13th/ Evening.**

When I get home, I find Dad watching a football game in the living room and munching a candy-bar. He sees me staring at him, and then at his snack before gulping and begs, "Don't tell your sister. Candy isn't part of our deal, so I'm pretty much cheating in here."

"I won't," I reassure him as I sit down next to him and steal a piece of his candybar. "Where is she, by the way?"

"She's buying some take-out from McRoof," he says with a snort. "I just hope she buys just one burger for each of us."

"Oh? And why would she buy more?" I ask him, at which he starts chuckling.

"Well, ten years ago, she'd eat three kids-meal burgers in a row. Your mom and I were so impressed that we never told her to stop." We both laugh at Yang's expense, and he wipes away a tear, "Sadly, that did make her a little bit… wide, and some kid made fun of her. That's why she's so into fitness."

"Wow, that's awful," I mutter.

"Yeah. Don't let her know you know, though. She won't admit it, but that still bothers her," he warns, though he is still smiling.

"Nice to see you're chipper today," I observe. However, this does make his smile falter a bit.

"Yeah, about that," he begins with a sigh. "Yesterday some… asshole bird came and pooped on my lunch. Bummed me out for the rest of the day. I'll admit it, it might have upset me a lot more than it should," he sighs again and shakes his head. "But, that's in the past now. No point on letting that bother me."

I ponder on that for a second. "I guess you're right."

Dad chuckles. "Yeah, I kind of am," he cheekily responds, rubbing my head while ignoring my protests.

The two of us watch TV until Yang returns home with the food just in time for dinner. We decide to eat in the living room, telling each other how our days went.

After dinner, I start reading my novel in the living room with the TV on. After a while, I head upstairs to get ready for bed, giving goodnights to everybody on my way.

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 4 ( **Rank Up)**.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 1.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 2 ( **Rank Up)**.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 4.


	41. Su, 5-14

**Su, 5/14**

 **Sunday, May 14th/ Daytime.**

I have nothing to do today besides studying, so I stay home for the entire day catching up on my readings and browsing the internet. I get a general notice from school while checking my mail, notifying me that a new student is getting transferred to MOS starting tomorrow. There isn't much else in the mail, though, so I don't dwell too much on it and keep studying.

 **Sunday, May 14th/ Evening.**

Sometime in the afternoon, Yang sets up a videogame console and starts playing a cartoony game with a bear and some weird ostrich thing running around the level and picking stuff up.

Yang lets me play it after a few minutes, and for some reason beyond my understanding I become completely submerged into it. It's as if collecting absolutely everything in each level is the most important thing I have to achieve in this very instant. I keep playing with Dad and Yang watching me for two more hours, but even with Yang pointing out what I have to do, I only manage to reach the third level. Eventually, my stomach makes itself known in a very loud way, making Yang and Dad laugh and prompting everyone to start thinking about dinner. Hunger and lack of time finally made us choose to order more take-out.

We've been doing that a lot lately.

Also, I suddenly realize that when we make dinner at home, I do help around with it, but I've never actually done any cooking. Perhaps I could do something soon.

It has gotten very late when food arrives, so I head to bed as soon as we're done eating.

* * *

A/N: Sometimes, an entire day can pass without anything noteworthy happening. This chapter reflects that reality. Thanks for your understanding.

Posting this chapter today too since it's too short. If you write reviews, please leave one for each chapter. Thank you very much.


	42. Mo, 5-15

**Mo, 5/15**

 **Monday, May 15th/ Morning.**

I want to try my hand at making dinner today, so I head down to the kitchen to check the fridge for dinner ingredients while I wait for my poptarts to be ready. There is some ground beef, some strips of bacon, and a small chunk of processed cheese, but not much else to work with. I keep a mental note of those and decide to head to the grocery store in the afternoon.

After arriving at school, the general demeanor of the upperclassmen is visibly more tense than usual, with people discussing notes and lessons from the past few months in anticipation for the exams next week. Yang quickly walks over to some of her classmates and joins the conversation, so I opt to find someone from my class and maybe do the same. When I reach my homeroom, I catch two girls from room 1-C conversing very loudly.

"So, you've seen the new student that got transferred?" the girl with long hair asks.

"Yeah, she's inside the room," the other girl with a cropped haircut says.

"Wait, so she's with us? Eesh, I feel sorry for her."

"Yeah, it is bad enough to get transferred a week from midterms, but being dropped into Peach's homeroom? That's just cruel!"

"Now wait a second. There's no way the school would set a new student up to failure. They'll have to go easy on her, which in turn…"

"Will make them go easy on us!" the short-haired girl finishes. "Wow, talk about a blessing in disguise."

"Yeah, we should thank her sometime."

I shake my head and head inside of the classroom.

 **Monday, May 15th/ After School.**

Once classes are over, I head towards the school entrance while sending a text to Yang and Dad about my plan for tonight. I'm not paying attention to where I'm going though, so I end up bumping into someone and drop my phone. Before it could fall to the floor though, the person I crashed into quickly catches it and holds it for a stagnant second before handing it to me. "Whew! That was close," the person says.

As I take my phone from her, I give her a better look. It is a girl with dark skin and mint-green hair kept in a straight cut. But the most interesting aspect about her are her deep, dark-red eyes. She is looking at me with a friendly smile that makes me feel very comfortable. "Thanks," I mumble sheepishly. "I really should be more careful to not bump into people."

She laughs. "Well, no harm done. Later," she says before heading back down the hallway, humming a merry tune.

Well… at least she was nice.

I head for the school's entrance and find Yang waiting for me. "Hey sis. How was your day?"

"It was good. Ms. Goodwitch actually eased up on us today… though that's because she's covered more chapters recently, so we're actually ahead of schedule."

Yang chuckles. "Yeah, that does happen sometimes," she says while shaking her head, "So you wanna make dinner tonight, huh? What do you have in mind?"

"I still haven't decided, so I wanted to go do some grocery shopping and see what I can find. I could use the company," I offer.

"Sure."

Yang and I spend the next half hour or so buying groceries for tonight's dinner and some other incidentals for the house. I find a large can of passata sauce and pasta sheets, and there's parmesan cheese in the dairy aisle. With the stuff that there is back home, I think I can make homemade lasagna. I take my time gathering other additional ingredients like peppers and onions for the dish before Yang and I head back to home.

 **Monday, May 15th/ Evening.**

Once we enter the house, I head straight to the kitchen to start working on the dinner. Sometimes I need help from one of them for the preparation, but I get most of the preparation done on my own. Cooking the beef and bacon together is child's play, but things get a bit more complex as I prepare the sauce with the veggies, the cheese and various spices. While precooking the pasta, I end up breaking most of the sheets, but still manage to get the lasagna assembled in the large skillet and put it in the oven with Dad's help. Stupid, noodle arms.

After a while, dinner is ready, so Yang and Dad sit at the table while I serve the dishes. "Hmm, that smells good!" Yang compliments.

"Man, it's been awhile since I had lasagna," Dad comments while eyeing the serving I hand to him.

I sit with them, dig right in and… it is bland! It doesn't taste bad, but it clearly doesn't have enough spice in it, so we either bury it in parmesan or add more salt to it, which doesn't really make it more appealing, to be honest. "I'm sorry for screwing up, guys." I apologize, poking my fingers together and trying to shrink on my chair.

"Come on now, it wasn't that bad," Yang says, while absentmindedly poking her half-eaten portion with her fork.

"Yang, finish your food," Dad offhandedly says before turning to me. "Don't worry, kiddo. This stuff happens even to the best of us sometimes." He slowly picks the last of his lasagna and eats it with gusto. "I liked it, and it's the thought that counts. So don't sweat it."

That does make me smile a bit. After we clean, we watch some tv before we all head to bed.

* * *

A/N: The previous chapter was re-edited and re-uploaded to better reflect the events of this chapter.


	43. Tu, 5-16

**Tu, 5/16**

 **Tuesday, May 16th/ After School.**

Classes today are mostly reviewing and previewing for the rest of the term, so everybody is understandably eager to leave as soon as the bell rings, myself included. Once the bell rings, I quickly head to practice. Coach decides to simply let everyone run drills today in order to let us out early. Throughout practice, I sense some tension among the boys, particularly between Sun and the rest of the guys, which in turn makes everybody feel uneasy.

Sun keeps falling back during most of the runs, and we even lap him at one point. I can't help but feel worried about him, so I hesitantly walk up to him after practice. He is texting through his phone when I approach him, "Hey Sun. Got cold feet?" I amicably ask.

He shrugs and takes a chug of water. "Kinda, I guess. Had my head on… doesn't matter," he shakes his head, looking back at his cell with a pensive expression.

"Well, how about we get your head onto something else? Wanna go grab a frap in town?" I offer.

"Uh, sure. My plans broke down anyway," he says while getting up. "No frap for me, though."

On our way to town, Sun keeps having this upset expression. Even after we get our drinks, he seems abnormally subdued. "Sun, is everything okay?" I ask him, full of concern. "You've been out of yourself since practice."

He sighs. "Yeah. It's just the guys being idiots. That's their problem, though, so I don't let that bother me," he explains while taking a sip of his milkshake.

"But it _is_ bothering you. You wouldn't be this quiet if it didn't," I point out. "Is it because of what happened the other day?"

Sun tenses up, takes a deep breath and sighs. "You could say that."

"Then you need to talk to coach about it," I suggest.

"No, Port is already doing enough by letting me on the team. I don't wanna ask him for special treatment," he states.

"What do you mean?"

Sun sighs again before talking. "Well, you oughta find out sooner or later." He seems to shrink, "I have a record, okay?"

"A… you mean?" I ask as realization sets in.

"Yeah. A few years ago, I stole a couple of things on my own, but I got caught on my second hit," he bitterly explains. "Spent the night in a cell. When I left the next day… well, let's just say that things became pretty crappy for me. Then I realized that I was a real piece of shit at that moment. And for a long time, I felt like one." I say nothing, only listening intently.

"Things were hard," he begins again. "I felt so guilty about it with my parents. That I wanted to make it up to them somehow. To prove to them I could be better than a fucking thief." He slouches in his seat. "So I began running in track. I was a natural, so I had something to improve myself on." He smiles sadly. "A while later, things somehow improved. I've earned back theirs and other people's trust, but I still felt terrible about that whole thing, and… Well, I _know_ I'm not perfect, so I'm scared that I might screw things up again.

"And now, I have to deal with these accusations. Not only is it bullcrap, but after everything I've been through, it's not hard to get angry because of this. Hell, I almost blew up on that guy the other day!" He crumples his empty cup and throws it into the nearby bin. "So I'm trying to just ignore it, let it pass, and then keep on proving to everyone that I'm better than what they think of me," he vows with a genuine smile.

"Well, I know you are not a bad person, Sun. So you have my trust."

"Thanks, Ruby. It's nice hearing that from a friend."

At that moment, a rock song starts blaring from his cell phone, which he picks up, and reads who the caller is. "Hmm, that's weird… excuse me for a sec." He picks up, his smile broadening. "Hey beautiful! How are you?" He listens to it, "Uh-huh? Yeah, I'm good, hanging with a friend. Do you still want to meet?... Okay, see you soon! Lo-" He hangs on that last word before looking at his phone and simply shakes his head, "Heh, classic."

"Girlfriend?" I ask, almost one hundred percent positive I have a goofy smile on my face.

"Yep, but she'll deny it," he laughs. "But yeah, I gotta go. Sorry for leaving you like this."

"No problem." I wave him off. "Seeya on Thursday."

"Sure." He waves back and heads off. I pick up some cookies from the bakery across the juicebar and head back home.

 **Tuesday, May 16th/ Evening.**

"Yang, you're killing me!"

Well, those aren't the most reassuring words anyone could hear when walking through the front door. "I'm home…?" I dare to call.

"Hi Ruby!" Yang cheerfully calls from the kitchen.

"Hey sweetheart," Dad greets calmly before raising his voice again. "Yang, I love you as much as a father can love his children and I appreciate your efforts to put me on a _diet_. But _turkey sausages_?! I didn't even know those were a thing!"

"Aw, come on, dad. Don't knock it 'till you try it."

"Now, that's not fair."

Apparently, Yang is in charge of tonight's dinner much to Dad's complaints. Along with the sausages, she apparently also bought green salad for the night. She's currently working on the dressing as I walk into the kitchen. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just having an argument I can't win," Dad mumbles in a defeated tone. "Can we at least have ketchup with it?"

"Nope! This dressing also serves for the sausage." Yang happily says.

"Wat?!"

"Yeah. Seriously Dad, you need to…" She trails off enough to smile a lopsided smile, "… _ketch up_ to the new trends."

Dad, on his part, pinches the bridge of his nose before muttering, "I swear to God, you're terrible."

"I know," Yang answers.

Dinner is actually really good, much to Dad's relief. Yang protests about the cookies I brought home, but in the end she also enjoys the dessert. After dinner, I sit in the living room reviewing my notes while Yang does the same and Dad plays Forest Run on his tablet. We remain like that in comfortable silence until well past 10PM and we all head for bed.

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 4.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 1.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 2.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 5 ( **Rank Up!** ).


	44. We, 5-17

**Tu, 5/17**

 **Tuesday, May 17th/ Lunch.**

While walking back to class from the cafeteria, Cardin approaches me out of nowhere. "Hey there. Having a good day?"

 _I was…_ "Kinda. What do you need?" I politely ask.

"I just thought to let you know that the guys and I are going to keep practicing our throws. After last week, we don't want anybody else hitting someone, ya know?" he condescendingly points out.

I opt to simply shrug at this. "I guess," I mutter before turning away.

He steps in front of me, blocking my path. "And just so you know, we'll be extra careful. So no need to worry," he promises with a reassuring smile.

"Um… Thanks?" I offer. "Look, I need to get to class."

"Sure go ahead," Cardin quickly dismisses. "Though from what I heard, there isn't a lot of teaching going on, so you wouldn't be missing much."

"I'll keep that in mind," I call back as I make my way to the classroom.

I hate to admit it, but he's right, there really isn't much for today's lessons.

 **Tuesday, May 17th/ After School.**

Classes were incredibly dull today and Yang is hitting the library to study, so I'm quick to get to the bus stop to head home on my own. The vehicle is packed and there's only two free spots left - one right next to the other - so I quickly go and sit by the window, looking wistfully through the glass. I feel the bus stopping and taking off again almost immediately, and a few seconds after I hear someone talking to me, "'Scuse me. Mind if I sit here?"

I turn to look and find the black haired man I've seen lately standing in front of me, an expectant look on his face. I hesitate for a bit, but I can't find any issue with him. "Sure, no problem."

He nods once with a smile before sitting next to me. "Thanks." He immediately collapses on the seat. Out of my periphery, I notice that his hands are covered in bandages and medical gauze.

"Oh my god, what happened?"

"Hmm?" The man lifts his head before looking at his hands. "Oh, I banged my thumb with a hammer, that's all," he explains with a sheepish smile.

"Ten times?" I point out.

The man snorts. "Got me there, kiddo." He rubs his hands. "I suppose I can take carpentry off of my list. At least until I learn how to use a hammer properly." He chuckles.

At my confused expression, he starts again, "I set up an Odd-Jobs shop. Since I don't have much of a career, I figured that kind of business suits me."

I smile a bit. "Well, I suppose it never gets boring."

"That it doesn't," he chuckles again. "But I don't recommend it, though. You can sometimes get in over your head with some things and end up making mistakes." He lifts his hands as if to prove his point. "No, for most people, sticking to one thing can be the best thing."

I ponder on that for a while. "I guess you're right."

The man scoffs. "If you say so."

We spend a minute in silence before he speaks again. "Truth be told, I've just moved back recently here," the man confesses. "I must be really crazy for having come back to Vale, I don't have a lot of good memories." He laughs bitterly. "Heck, exams were some of the worst moments of my life, made me wanna kill myself," he jokes. "Man, I sure don't miss those."

He shakes his head. "But they weren't all bad, y'know? Just a lot of stuff I didn't take the chance to make, that's all.

"So don't let an odd-jobber like me get you all depressed, okay?" he offers with an earnest smile.

"I'll try," I answer him.

He offers me a battered hand. "Name's Qrow."

I smile at him and carefully shakes his hand, trying not to hurt him even more. "Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Ruby."

 **I am Thou, Thou art I  
** **Thou hast established a new bond**

 **It brings thee closer to the Truth**

 **Thou shalt be blessed  
** **When creating Personas of the** **Hierophant Arcana** **.**

"Sir?" he asks dejectedly. "Please, I'm not _that_ old," he jokes before looking up. "I think this one's where you always stop, isn't it?"

I look through the window and realize that we're indeed nearing the stop near my house. "Shoot!" I press the stop button and get up from my seat and make my way down the aisle before shouting back at him "Thanks!"

 **Tuesday, May 17th/ Evening.**

We finish eating the lasagna leftovers for dinner. Dad made a cheese sauce to add to the dish, so it is a lot less bland this time around.

After dinner, we all give our goodnights and head for bed.

* * *

 _Ruby Rose has created the_ _Regretful Man_ _Social Link of the_ _Hierophant Arcana_

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Reflection Assault and Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 4.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 1.  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 1 ( **Initiated** ).  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 2.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 5.

* * *

A/N: Attention please. I've made a slight modification regarding the Arcanum for the Social Links.

First let me assure you, that this wasn't a thoughtless decision. Changing Taiyang's Arcana with Qrow's isn't going to affect the development of each side-story in the slightest, since both Arcanum can be used represent both characters' main crux. The reason I made this change was because that was the original distribution I had planned to use for the , but I wrote down Taiyang being Hierophant instead of Death to avoid the backlash of Qrow not being the Death Arcana.

Eventually, I came to have second thoughts about this decision, so now I've decided to switch it back to their original placement. I have a reason as to why I decided to stick with my original plan, which should become clear as the story progresses.

Making the decision to sticking to my original plan after having made this progress completely sucks. I don't like making this sort of retconning; I feel dirty for doing it, and it is bound to get me more backlash than if I had stuck to the original plan in the first place. But I'm sticking it to it regardless. So come whatever reactions it may cause.

As a side note: I'm retroactively editting the progressions to state that Taiyang _**IS**_ the Death Arcana.


	45. Th, 5-18

**Th, 5/18**

 **Thursday, May 18th/ Morning.**

Ms. Goodwitch turns today's lessons into study hall, meaning that almost everyone else is just doing whatever the hell they want while keeping it low. I study with Jaune and Velvet through most of the day.

 **Thursday, May 18th/ After School.**

Track practice. I get changed and head over to the girls at the benches and wait while the boys finish their practice. I can't help but notice some hostile looks from the girls, but thankfully they don't start much trouble and simply focus on their gossiping. On the football field, the team is practicing throws and reception drills, and focus on just that through the entire afternoon. I focus on track for the remainder of practice, which was more intense today than usual. For some reason, Coach wanted for us to run three more laps today.

By the time we're done, most of the team has already taken off somewhere else. I'm ready to follow suit when I see Cardin approaching me, helmet tucked under one arm. I roll my eyes. Here we go... "Hey there! Had fun today?" He has an unbearable smirk plastered on his face, but I resist the urge to walk away.

"I… yeah, sorta," I reply before shifting my weight. "Everything's good, I guess."

"That's cool. The guys over there have gotten the ball-reception down to a T, so there won't be any more mess ups," he proudly proclaims.

"Heh, thanks for letting me know. Possibly the least involved person in your team's training," I point out.

He's taken aback by this and frowns. "Well, for your information, I'm telling you because I owe it to you after what happened the other day. You're welcome, by the way."

I frown back at him before speaking as calmly as possible, "I'm sorry, but you didn't owe anything more than an apology to me." I sigh. "Seriously, what's your deal?"

He shifts uncomfortably before looking back at his team, who are currently distracted talking with their team manager. "Look, I told you before, I'm just looking after the team. What happened that day, and what happened in that match, made the team look bad. If the team looks bad, they perform bad. I'm sure there's no denying that." He explains.

I soften my expression. "I understand that, and you do need to practice more. But going out of your way to let me know of things is unnecessary, and frankly, it feels like special treatment." I shrug my shoulders. "If you're trying to please me in order to change my opinion on you, it isn't really doing much. I don't hate it, but I'm mostly indifferent to it."

"Ouch," he says with a deadpan. "Y'know? I don't like zero reaction more than a bad reaction, but I can tell it is still an improvement," he says with a lopsided smirk before raising both hands. "Alright, you win. No more _special treatment_. But I still gotta do something to mend this problem I have with you. So this won't be the last time you see me."

"Of course it won't," I mutter. "Just promise you won't get any more creepy."

He shrugs. "Sure, but that hasn't been a problem yet, has it?"

I bite my tongue and simply decide to nod before turning away. I change into a workout suit and ride the bus back home.

 **Thursday, May 18th/ Evening.**

I spend the rest of the day studying in my room, stopping only to go down for dinner. After that, I watch a bit of TV before going to bed.

As I reach my room, I get a text message.

 _REN: I'm sorry about the time, but we gotta meet up. Is tomorrow at lunchtime fine?_

 _RUBY: Sure._

 _YANG: Same place, right?_

 _REN: Right. Goodnight._

I'm exhausted, so I let myself fall asleep instantly.

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Reflection Assault and Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 4.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 2 ( **Rank Up!** ).  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 1.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 2.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 5.


	46. Fr, 5-19

**Fr, 5/19**

 **Friday, May 19th/ Morning.**

Dr. Oobleck turns today's class into a full on review of all the lessons we've had to date, in preparations for the midterms, which is received by a collective groan. I fight through my urge to complain and focus on the review.

 **Friday, May 19th/ After School.**

I meet Yang in the halls and head to the roof to meet with Ren. He arrives shortly after we sit on the stone benches in there. "Hey Ren! What took you so long?" Yang asks cheekily.

Ren simply shakes his head and says, "Doesn't matter at this moment."

I frown at him. "You sounded worried yesterday in that text. Something wrong?"

He shakes his head again. "No, everything is fine, which is why I'm concerned." He then explains, "I've been checking the Reflection the last few days, and Shadow activity has shown no changes recently."

"So? Why is that a bad thing? The better for us, right?" Yang says.

"It's not normal," Ren cuts in. "They usually start peaking up after a month of the last attack, which means that they'd be preparing to cross to our world." He crosses his arms. "If there's no activity though, it could mean they might pull somebody in instead."

"So you're worried somebody else could get killed without a warning," I infer, to which Ren nods. "Yeah, that's worrying."

"Well, we just gotta have our eyes and ears open if somebody goes missing. Then we spring into action and save them before they get killed," Yang says confidently. "It sounds simple to me."

"But midterms are coming soon," I point out. "If somebody gets abducted when we're in school, we might not have the chance to save them."

"Not necessarily," Ren speaks again. "I've reviewed the case with Leon, and from what I can conclude, he disappeared twenty four hours before he was killed. I'm grasping at straws here, but maybe Shadows don't kill a person right after they abduct them, which gives us a little breathing room for preparations."

Yang suddenly stands up. "But what if next time there's no breathing room? None of us can't be sure that things will happen the same way."

"I know the circumstances are bleak, but it's the best chance we have if we wanna save the people that get pulled in." He looks down. "We win nothing by worrying before we need to."

I stand up. "Ren is right, the best thing we can do is be ready and hope for the best," I shrug. "Besides, he said that Shadows start acting up around a month after the last attack, but it's been hardly thirty days. So maybe there's still more time before an attack."

"... I suppose," Yang relents while crossing her arms behind her head.

"We might find out soon enough," Ren announces. "In any case, we need to be ready, which is why you need to train more." He closes his eyes for a moment before relaxing his posture. "Would next Friday work for the two of you?"

"I'll be numb from the tests, but sure, no problem." Yang replies.

"Me too," I add.

Ren nods once. "Then we're set. Next week, we'll meet at the HQ and go train. Goodbye, until then." He turns and walks away.

"Seeya, Ren." I call back as he's leaving.

"Are you sure nothing bad will happen?" Yang asks me once he's out of earshot.

"No. I'm just hoping that it won't."

Yang nods once before we both leave for the bus stop and head back home.

 **Friday, May 19th/ Evening.**

Back home, Yang and I sit and play Ninja Party while Dad gets back from the college. I beat Yang in the last three games -much to her dismay- at the same time Dad returns and starts working on today's dinner. Yang turns off the console to a news broadcast.

"... And that's it for sports. Next up is the weather." The announcer said. "Some warm fronts are moving from the east, so we can expect a typical clear spring day in the Vale area, perfect for going outside."

"That's not a bad idea," Dad says from the kitchen. "I've been meaning to get you girls somewhere one of these weekends. What do you say?"

"Yeah! Family outing!" Yang cheers from her seat.

"Sure, that'd be cool."

"Awesome." Dad exclaims before finishing dinner. We eat while talking about trivial stuff and school and exams, generally having a good time between the three of us.

It's gotten pretty late, so we all give our goodbyes and head for bed.


	47. Sa, 5-20

**Sa, 5/20**

 **Saturday, May 20th/ Morning.**

The bright sunlight seeps through my window and wakes me up almost instantly. I stand up and walk to the window to see that there is no cloud in the sky, yet it isn't very warm. I decide to get cleaned and dressed in fresh clothes before heading down to the kitchen. Dad is busy pouring batter in a waffle maker next to a plate with two golden slabs of toasted goodness and Yang is already eating her own plate with three waffles, glazed to the brim with syrup.

"Morning Rubes!" She says just as she sees me.

"Hey Ruby. I hope you're hungry," Dad calls as he attends to the food.

"Sure am!" I reaffirm before taking my seat and waiting for breakfast to be ready. "So, what are we doing today?"

"Well, I was thinking about taking you girls to the mall on the far end of the city," Dad announces excitedly.

"Wait, are we gonna spend a day like this in a mall?" I ask dubiously.

"Don't worry about that, the place is more of a plaza than a mall; it is completely open environment," Yang explains through a mouthful of breakfast before swallowing. "Only the stores and a few restaurants are actually inside the buildings, everything else is right outside."

"Huh, that sounds interesting," I muse.

"Yeah," Dad says as he takes the finished waffle from the maker and serves it on a plate before handing it to me. "Anyways, the plan is to go browse the stores and then stop for lunch at a restaurant. So finish up breakfast so that we can head out, okay?"

"Okay," I say before digging in.

Once we're all finished and ready, all three of us pile into the SUV and head off.

 **Saturday, May 20th/ Daytime.**

We arrive to the mall after an hour. The "mall" turns out to be just as I imagined it'd be. It is a group of six, sand-colored buildings, from two to three stories each, lined with niches and terraces on each floor, with staircases at the end of each building. There's almost twice as many stores in here than you can find back in town and one of the buildings has a movie theatre at its top floor, although I don't feel we're gonna watch a movie today. Still, there are a lot of stuff to see around and look around.

All through the day, we just keep wandering around, we peek inside several stores to see if there's anything that might interest any of us. Yang buys herself some hair scrunchies, a sports band and a couple of sweat-shorts, while I just buy two packs of cream-filled cookies. Dad eyes some jackets from a clothing-store, but decides against buying any of them. Later, we head to this one building that has the most restaurants and go into a steakhouse for lunch: Dad and I order a sirloin steak with carbonara noodles to the side while Yang has brisket with Caesar Salad on the side.

"So tell me, are you doing well in school so far this year?" Dad asks suddenly.

"Yeah, it's been good. It's getting some time getting used to it, though," I answer.

"I'd imagine," he chuckles before turning to Yang.

"It's been okay. Classes are going well, and the Judo team is getting some work done," she proudly proclaims.

Dad nods once. "That's good," he says before taking another bite of meat. "Guess school is more exciting for you kids, huh?"

"HA! Yeah right!" Yang laughs while giving him a playful punch. "But don't worry, we won't have any more fun than you do at college, right?"

"As if!" He grumbles. "The only fun I had in college was when I was a student, _and_ for reasons that I rather avoid doing nowadays."

"Like raving?" I offer cheekily.

"Like raving, and things that I won't even mention in the table."

"Ew, gross." I all but giggle, while Yang also lets out a snort.

"Yeah, you girls do me two favors. If you _ever_ get involved in some wild parties: One, I don't wanna know and Two, don't be stupid about it," he finishes while taking another forkful of pasta.

"I promise, dad," I reply.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Yang says before a smirk creeps to the corner of her mouth. "I _have_ been smart with all of that."

Dad nearly chokes on his food and hacks violently before recovering. "What did I just ask you _not_ to tell me?!" he yells while Yang stifles a guffaw. I also laugh quietly before Dad mutters under his breath. "I swear…"

After finishing our food, we wander the mall for another hour, before deciding to make it to the parking lot and head back home. On our way to the car, we find a middle aged man freaking out over a sports car; for what I could see, all four of his tires have flattened where it stood, with very visible gashes on each of them. The man was currently berating a security officer about the incident while fidgeting with his cellphone. However, I also notice that the vehicle is in fact parked on two spots at the same time, one of which is a handicap-spot.

"Well, that's concerning," Dad observes as we walk past. "I hope the car hasn't been vandalized."

"Actually, I think it was only that jackass who got his tires punctured," Yang points out with a frown.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, the man parked in two spots, one of them for handicapped people," I explain calmly. "I mean, that isn't right, no matter how you put it."

Dad takes another look at the scene and mulls it over. "Maybe… but whether the jackass had it coming or not, that's still vandalism. Two wrongs don't make a right, no matter how you put it."

After a short walk, we get back to the car and get in, and after Dad starts the engine he mutters, "What a jackass, though."

We spend the ride back home laughing.

 **Saturday, May 20th/ Evening.**

Yang and I focus the rest of the afternoon on studying for the exams in our rooms before having a light dinner. I probably will do another once over tomorrow, so I decide to head to bed early.


	48. Su, 5-21

**Su, 5/21**

 **Sunday, May 21st/ Daytime.**

I spend the whole day reviewing my lessons in order to be ready for tomorrow's exams. I don't think it's going to be too difficult, but it's better to be safe than sorry. At one point during the day, I get a call from Jaune asking me to clear up some things for him.

"Man, I understood this yesterday, but now it makes no sense!" he panics, audibly agitated.

"Hey, take a deep breath and calm down," I tell him. After he finally relaxes enough, I start sorting out what's confusing him.

"Huh… okay," he finally adds. "That was embarrassing."

"Don't worry, everybody blanks out once in awhile," I comfort him. "All you have to do is keep it cool."

"Yeah, you're right. I hope I don't freak out again next week," he says half-heartedly. "Thanks, Ruby."

"No problem," I tell him before he hangs up.

I study for another hour before food is ready, after which I take a thirty minute break... which accidentally becomes an hour and a half nap. I decide to watch some TV to wake myself up before going back to my notes.

 **Sunday, May 21st/ Evening.**

After burning my eyebrows, I go back to the living room to let my brain rest. There's nothing terribly interesting on TV other than this random cartoon. None of it makes any sense outside of its context (which offers too little sense to begin with), but I can't avert my eyes from it. It is somewhat clever sometimes, but it's also really dumb most of the time. Still, it's a good time killer.

After dinner, I head to bed early. Midterms start tomorrow and last until Friday.

"Wish me luck, Mom," I whisper as I drift asleep.


	49. Fr, 5-26

**Fr, 5/26**

 **Friday, May 26th/ After School.**

Midterms are finally over, and they were _excruciating_.

I'm sitting in the classroom talking with Velvet and, surprisingly, Weiss also joins us. "Those exams were scary," Velvet croaks. "I hope I got everything right."

"Agreed. What answer did you pick in question four of Socials?" I ask.

"I think it was option B," She offers.

"Wait, isn't it D?!" I ask again.

"It is D," Weiss interjects. "Mistral's main produce, Silk and Cattle."

"Really?! Bloody hell," Velv dejectedly says while bowing her head.

"Oh, come on. These are just midterms, not the end of the world," Weiss says, trying to comfort Velvet. "Besides, I think they were easy enough."

"Well, you're not wrong," I point out. "Let's just let the stress wash over, okay? Next time we'll all do better."

Just at that moment, I get a text. I open it and frown. Ren's reminding us about today's training. "Hey, I gotta go meet with my sis. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Sure," Weiss says.

"Bye Rubes," Velvet offers.

I leave the classroom and start walking down the hallway when Jaune steps up next to me. "He-hey, Ruby! Do you have a second?"

"Kinda. What is it? Did you do well in the exams?"

"I feel like I did. I'm kinda nervous, but not much really." He rubs the back of his neck. "But anyways, I wanted to see if you'd like to meet up on Sunday to get started on the report itself?" he asks, fidgeting with his feet. He also sounds very subdued all of a sudden.

"Yeah, I don't have a problem," I reply.

"Cool, cool. Well, so I'll see you on Sunday," he says before starting to the other end of the hallway.

"Well, that was strange," I jump at the sound of the new voice, only to see that it's Yang. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's just nervous. That's all," I explain. "So hey, did you read the message?"

"Yep. Let's go, then, I wanna beat something up."

Yang and I make our way to the costume store and walk down to the basement. We find Ren checking something in the computer while Toysmith is moving some barrels filled with props to a corner. "Hey Ren!" I call out.

Ren glances over his shoulder and nods. "Hi." He goes back to the computer before finally turning on his seat. "Are you guys ready to go in today? I understand if you're too tired."

"No, we're good," Yang interrupts. "I've been wanting to blow some steam since this morning, so let's get this started."

Ren nods once before turning back to the computer. "Very well then. I'll pick a destination now, you get geared-up," he points to his left. "Your new equipment is on the table," he adds absementedly.

"'New equipment'?" I echo as I look to the table. In there is a kind of spear with a broad, curved blade attached to one end. Right next to it are a pair of brass knuckles that consists of a single thick bar with four rings attached to each pair. "Where did you even get these?" I ask turning to Ren. A loud cough from the corner diverts our attention back to Toysmith, who is frowning dejectedly at me. "Oh, right. Dumb question."

"Yeah. Hello to you too," he grumbles and continues to attend to… whatever it is he's doing at the moment.

"Well, you won't be making friends with him anytime soon," Yang says half-jokingly.

"I guess not."

"Don't beat yourselves up over it." Ren says, motioning us to come closer. "So I want to take you guys to this area," he says, pointing a spot in the map.

"Wait, that's the Mall," Yang calls out. "None of the attacks have happened there, so why-?"

"I really don't understand how the extension of the Reflection works. But the Mall is a hotspot of Shadow Activity, but the layout is ideal for controlled combat. We can go train there, if you agree."

"Well, I don't see why not," I point out.

"Yeah, me neither."

"Very well, I'll set the coordinates…" Ren says as he inputs commands and presses the enter key. The mirror in the room ripples in resonance with the device before becoming still. "There. We're good to go," he announces as he takes the Radar with him. I pick up my new spear while Yang slips the knuckles on. Once we're all ready, we step through the mirror.

 **Friday, May 26th/** **Reflection** **.**

We emerge inside a shoes store from the mall of all places. The ceiling lights flicker briefly, but remain on all the same, still emitting that weird light. "I'm still not getting used to that."

Ren looks at me, then at the lights. "Don't pay attention to the lights," he says curtly.

"Any reason why?" Yang interjects.

"Because it isn't important," Ren adds before opening the radar and setting it up. The sphere lights up for a second, before flickering out. He flicks a switch a couple of times and gets it to work again. He has a perplexed frown on his face. "I'll remember to check that later," he mumbles before speaking up. "Alright, there are a number of enemies right outside. Those should be easy to dispose, but there are stronger Shadows also in the area, so you need to be careful."

"Okay." I put on my ear-piece and ready my weapon before I head outside, with Yang close behind me.

We are on the ground floor of the building, so we start walking down its aisle towards our right, keeping our eyes open for anything. Soon enough, a couple of those lantern-carrying crows come swooping down from the terrace above us. I instinctively change into Brunhilde as they hover in front of us. But at this point a third Shadow arrives too, this one resembling an eagle, but with a tulip-shaped mask bearing the III numeral and sporting a heart shaped collar around its neck. This Shadow flaps its wings with such strength that it sends a gust of wind at the two of us. Yang braces the attack, but I'm sent tumbling down the sidewalk.

" _Persona!_ " Yang summons Sati, which volleys flurry of fireballs at the flock of Shadows. The two crows fall down, but the eagle remains in the air. Yang lunges at it and delivers a punch, which it evades while she struggles to keep her balance. The bird then lobs a pearly sphere at Yang, which explodes in a burst of burning light. She is pushed away as she reels in pain.

/ _Be careful! This one is like something you've never faced before._ /

"I've noticed!" I yell back through the com as I stand up. I waste no time to attack. " _Brunhilde!_ " The valkyrie materializes in the air and shoots an ice crystal at the Shadow, which encrusts itself on its chest and sends it to the floor.

"Alright, time for payback," Yang growls as we rush the fallen enemies, cutting and punching all three of them until there's nothing left from them. "Man, that hurt."

"Here, let me help." I summon Brunhilde again, who shines green light upon Yang.

"Heh, thanks."

"No problem."

/ _I didn't expect enemies like that in here. They aren't any more dangerous than the other ones, but you still need to be cautious._ /

"Y'know, I think we can just skip the 'be more careful' speech at this point. Thank you very much," Yang says… rather sweetly… it's kinda unnerving.

/ _Uh… *cough* Okay. Be ready,_ / Ren says.

Yang and I continue fighting through wave after wave of Shadows. I'm getting more accustomed to all of my Personas, so I'm no longer as winded as before after using them. Yang and I climb onto the next floor and continue fighting more Shadows for what feels like an hour or so. Many of them are pretty strong like that big bird from earlier, but we manage to endure through it. After clearing the third floor, we decide to make it back to the entrance, dealing with whatever small-fry that pops up.

"Yeah! We're awesome! Smash Sisters for the win!" Yang cheers as we make our way back down.

/ _Your performance has really improved. Though there were a few slips, I think~_ / A loud beep floods the audio feed suddenly. / _Watch out!_ /

The door of a store in front of us slams open and from it walks a morbidly obese humanoid figure in a cop uniform, holding a gun in one hand and a pair of cuffs in another. Its torso has a perfectly circular hole that goes all the way from its chest through its back. An indigo mask with an oblivious expression is bolted on the upper half of its "face," while it regards us with a dumb mumble.

"Wow, that's one way to lose weight," Yang deadpans while pointing at the fat cop. Another one steps out of the same store as a third one appears from a store behind us.

"We're surrounded!"

"Then let's make 'em regret it," Yang says before running up to the one behind of us and delivering three punches onto its face. It reels back, but doesn't look much worse for wear.

"Let me try this. _Rakshasa!_ " The red demon samurai drops down on the ground and draws his swords. In a flash, he slices through one of the shadows, knocking it flat on its ass.

/ _You got a good hit, but I don't think it did much!_ /

"Then let's try something different," I say as I swipe a finger over my evoker. " _HIGH PIXIE!_ " As Rak is replaced by the frosty-blue fairy, three storm clouds form up over the Shadows, releasing a bolt of lightning over each of them. The downed one twitches uncontrollably, while the other two seem unphased by it. The cop next to it spins its handcuffs, causing a column of golden light to envelop the one behind us, which then draws its gun at me and pulls the trigger. A bolt of pain shoots through my leg, making me fall to the floor as I scream through my teeth. The same Shadow aims another shot at me, but Yang steps in front of it and takes the bullet. It barely leaves a mark on her.

"Oh, now you've done it! _SATI!_ " Yang's Persona shoots forward like a bullet and lands two punches and a kick on it. The Shadow backs away and starts breathing heavily.

/ _It seems that that one's almost done! But the other two are still a threat._ /

I force myself to stand up and swipe my evoker. " _Persona!_ " Rakshasa appears once again, delivering a single hit with his swords to the downed Shadow, which was still twitching. Several sparks spew from its body before it melts into nothingness. The cop next to it tries to shoot me too, but I dodge out of the way. The one behind us does the same golden-light thing on its partner before slumping down again.

"That one's almost done, but the first one still hasn't taken any damage," I observe.

"I know. But even if that one's almost dead, it still can attack us. We can't give them any chances," she says before jumping towards the tired cop, punching him twice in what little of gut it has before taking its arm and pulling the entire Shadow over her shoulder, making it explode into smoke. " _Persona!_ " Sati appears above me and shines a golden light on me, and I feel my body filling with raw power. I look at the remaining Shadow, but I don't feel like I have much strength left for another physical attack, no matter how lucky I could get; plus I'm still hurting from that gunshot. With no other option, I switch to Yatagarasu. " _Persona_."

What appears in the terrace is not the three-legged raven.

"What?"

In front of me, a large, ominous beast looms menacingly over the Shadow. Its body is completely covered in a large blue mantle with several square patterns embroidered into it, revealing two gnarled antlers peeking from holes in its cloak. Inside its cloak is pure darkness, except for a "face" consisting of two light blue circles and a jagged-line under those two.

"What the fuck?" I hear Yang whispering behind me.

The creature shrieks and a black claw rippling with purple fire shoots from its body and wraps itself around the Shadow's head, which gets squashed in an instant, disappearing along with the rest of its body. The new Persona retrieves its claw and disappears into blue light.

I help myself up again and glance back at Yang, who glances at me. "That… was scary."

I swallow heavily. "Agreed."

We get back to the shoe store. "Are the two of you okay?" Ren asks, a deep frown carved on his face.

"Yeah, we're good. That last fight was a whammy, though," I say through a wince. I shake my head and summon Yatagarasu this time, letting it heal my leg up. "Anyways, I think Yang and I did well, right?"

Ren sighs. "Yes, it was a good session. I want to tell you how much I appreciate that you're taking this seriously," he thanks us suddenly,, taking us by surprise.

Yang is the first to recover. "Heh, thank _you_ ," she replies.

"Well, it isn't all that much. You're the one keeping us on track."

"Yes, but you're proving yourself very capable, you especially." He points at me. "That power you have… I don't understand it very well, but you manage to make the most of it. That is impressive on its own."

I feel my cheeks heating up. "Well, I suppose it's a good thing I have it, right?"

"Anyways. I think we're done for today. Let's go back now," Yang says tiredly.

"Yeah. It's about time we head back," Ren agrees and packs up the radar before we go back through the mirror and leave for our homes.

 **Friday, May 26th/ Evening.**

Dad doesn't arrive from his private lessons until late in the night and with all of us exhausted, we really have no energy to make dinner. We settle for ham sandwiches instead. After eating, I go back to my room and pass out instantly.

* * *

Arcana Analysis:  
 **Sati (Strength) [Data-update]** :  
Resists: Physical  
Blocks: Ice  
Weakness: Electricity  
Agilao, Maragi, Sonic Punch, Tarukaja, Swift Strike

 **Wendigo (Death)** :  
Blocks: Ice, Dark.  
Reflects: Wind.  
Weak: Fire.  
Skills: Mabufula, Eiha, Mudo, Evil Touch, Pulimpa.

 **Venus Eagle (Empress)** :  
Slash Attack, Magaru, Kouga.  
Resists: Fire.  
Weak: Ice.

 **Bribed Fuzz (Hierophant)** :  
Single Shot, Tarujaka.  
Weak: Dark.


	50. Sa, 5-27

**Sa, 5/27**

 **Saturday, May 27th/ Daytime**

I'm dead tired this morning. I peek from beneath my blanket to the window to see that it is drizzling with no signs that it'll stop anytime soon. I don't have anything important to do today...

I roll in my bed and fall back asleep.

 **Saturday, May 27th/ Evening**

I wake up mid-afternoon, and the drizzle from earlier has escalated to a full-on rainstorm. Apparently, Yang and Dad had the same idea as I and are just getting up from bed. The weather is so soul-crushing that nobody is in the mood to do anything other than eat and just lay around. Dad makes tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner. After eating, Yang and I take turns playing Online-Smash even after Dad excuses himself to bed.

After the fiftieth round or so, I decide I should probably go to bed too, so I head up and get ready for the night. It takes some time for me to finally fall asleep.

* * *

Alright you peeps. Next chapter is coming up shortly, and it's no doubt gonna be longer than this. Don't despair.


	51. Su, 5-28

**Su, 5/28**

 **Sunday, May 28th/ Morning**

I walk down to the living room carrying my bag and stuff to head out to the library later today. I serve myself a bowl of cereal and bring it to the living room where Yang and Dad are currently eating their own bowls and watching TV.

"Are you going out?" Dad asks after seeing my things.

"Yeah, Jaune and I are going to work the research report," I reply. "We've been putting that off for after the exams."

He nods. "Makes sense. Let me ask you though, how much of that assignment have you actually written? I'm just curious."

"Um, we'll be getting started with that part," I answer. "We got a pretty good outline to work with and Jaune has found several sources for the research," I explain cautiously.

"Okay," he accepts before taking another spoonful of cereal.

I frown a bit at this, but decide to shrug it off. Dad takes the remote and puts on the news.

"... success in saving these adorable creatures. In other news, several businesses are cutting their daily time of services for protection," the reporter states. "More than a month has passed since the last reported Act of Violence when a young man assaulted and killed the owner of a local jewelry store in the commercial district of downtown Vale. People have become even more anxious after the passing of Tukson Leon - also last month - prompting several business owners to take measures to protect themselves and their customers.

"Their community has agreed to lend their services up until five PM in the advent of the incoming weeks in anticipation of any incident. The VCPD is also doubling their patrols in the city in an effort to prevent another tragedy."

"Zero by two is still zero," Dad mutters under his breath. Yang snickers.

"This broadcast also discourages any listeners to venture into the streets unaccompanied, and asks them to be careful in the upcoming days. I'm Lisa Lavender and that will be all for today's news. Until next time." The broadcast ends. The next program melts into white sound as the air becomes tense in the living room. I look at Dad, who has a pensive look on his face.

Worried that he might become stressed, I speak up, "I could ask Jaune if we can work on the assignment online. It wouldn't be a problem."

"No, no. It's okay, really. You'll be with this kid Jaune all the time, right?" I nod. "Well, I guess you'd be able to look at each other's backs, right?"

"Yeah, right."

"See? Problem solved," he states, getting up from the sofa before adding, "This kid is a nice guy, isn't he?"

"Uh… yeah, I guess?"

"Then we're good!" He decides, taking his bowl to the kitchen.

"What was that about?" I whisper to Yang.

"Typical father behavior," she says offhandedly. "Daughter goes meeting with a boy, the boy has a target on his back."

"Gah! Again with this? I won't get a boyfriend if you two keep harassing me like that!"

"Oh, you will. You'll just hide it better." She sticks her tongue at me.

I feel an eye twitching. "I need to go." I get up and leave my cereal bowl in the sink before heading for the door. While passing through the living room, I make a point on slapping Yang in the back of her head.

"Ow! My vengeance will be swift!" She yells back before bursting into a fit of laughter.

 **Sunday, May 28th/ Daytime**

I arrive at the public library after a quick bus ride. I wander through the rows of books until I spot Jaune sitting at one of the reading tables, concentrating deeply in a book. After he sees me walking towards him, he closes the book and sets it aside. "Hey."

"Hey Jaune! How are you?"

"I'm okay. Thanks," he says subduedly.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm just… quiet places make me sleepy, that's all," he curtly explains.

"Okay… Well, let's get started with the essay before any of us falls asleep," I offer jokingly.

"Sure," is all he mutters before I sit down and start up my computer.

I pull up the outline and the material sources and start discussing it with Jaune while working on a separate document. Well, "discussing" wouldn't really be the right word, actually. It seems that I'm mostly making suggestions and Jaune agrees to everything I say. I look at him from the corner of my eye, and notice that his gaze is downcast and that he's turning a pen in his fingers. I frown at this, but I can't find a way to directly call him out, so I say the first thing that comes up to my mind.

"So then, she rips his skull from inside his head and beats him to death with it." I quickly turn to see his reaction.

"Yeah, sounds good," he flatly says.

"Jaune, did you hear what I just said?"

"Hmm? Yeah, you said that she'd… wait, what does that have to do… That doesn't even sound physically possible!"

"I know! But you weren't really paying attention!" I reply, then wince as someone sharply shushes at our table. "Sorry," I whisper back. Turning back to Jaune, I regard him with a concerned frown. "Jaune, you're distracted. What's going on?"

He glances at me before turning away. "It doesn't matter."

"But you're still upset by it, so it must be important."

"No, it isn't. It doesn't matter. Nothing does," he turns back at me sharply. "Let me ask you, what's the point?"

I look back at him in confusion. "What? What do you mean?"

"Because that's when things matter, right? When you set off to do something, for something worthwhile, and it all pays off, correct?" Another shush makes Jaune wince this time.

"Yeah, I suppose… is that what's worrying you? Are you worried about the exam's results?" I ask, hoping to clear things up a bit.

He shakes his head. "Of course I'm worried. I blanked out in at least one question in each of them." He cups his head in his hands. "School, homework, exams. Everything. Nothing works out!"

My frown only deepens. "What do you mean it doesn't work out?"

Jaune hesitates for a second, as if wanting to say more, but shakes his head again.

"Jaune, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's happening."

"I don't need your help!" Another person shushes us, but Jaune snaps back at them. "Would you mind?! We're having a conversation here! Thank you very much!"

"Jaune!" I stage-whisper.

He takes a few deep breaths before continuing in a more subdued tone, yet he balls his hands into fists. "I don't need help. Not with this. And even if you helped, it would just be a waste of time."

I stare at him at a loss. "Jaune, I don't get it. This is coming from out of nowhere."

"Well, I'm sorry about it," he says sourly before standing from the table and picking his things up.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving. I… If there's no point in doing this, then I don't wanna have to deal with any of this again."

"What?" I stand up and whisper to him. "Jaune, you can't quit school."

He bows his head. "I'd like to see if anybody will stop me," is all he says before turning around and walking past one row of shelves.

I stare for a second before rushing towards where he went. I need to talk this through with him - try to make sense of what he just said. I search through the shelves and around the lobby, even peeking through the door to see if I can catch him outside, but he had already left. With a sigh, I slowly make my way back to the table we were using and gather my things up.

I head for the bus stop. I feel dull.

 **Sunday, May 28th/ Evening**

My mood hasn't improved during the ride back home, and my feet weigh like lead. I let out a sigh of relief after seeing that nobody is in the living room at the moment, so I make a beeline towards the stairs and into my room. I set my laptop on my desk and open it, seeing the half-started essay open right in the desktop. I save the document and open my mail to type a quick letter to Jaune, asking him to maybe talk again sometime in the week. I lose nothing in trying, after all.

I spend an hour or so in my room, trying to wind down, before heading downstairs for a snack. Dad is deeply enthralled with this dramedy on TV and doesn't notice me passing by. Yang is in the kitchen and she waves at me. "Hi sis! How was your day?"

I ponder whether or not to tell her. Either way, it won't be pretty. "It was fine, Jaune had something of a crisis. We had to cut things short today. I'm hoping things will get sorted out."

"Yikes. Meltdown?" she asks.

I hold back a flinch. "I guess, kinda."

Yang makes a popping sound with her lips. "Yeah. It happens. Maybe you guys could work on that assignment online?"

"I'll suggest it next time I see him," I quickly dismiss it before searching for that snack I came for.

The rest of the night goes by in a flash, and soon I'm preparing for bed. I make a quick check on my inbox and find no new reply from Jaune, only spam. With a sigh, I crawl into bed and stare at the ceiling until I can't keep my eyes open.

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): **REVERSE.  
** 02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 2.  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 1.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 2.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 1.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 5.


	52. Mo, 5-29

**Mo, 5/29**

 **Monday, May 29th/ Morning**

There's an atmosphere of exhaustion mixed with refreshment this morning in school, with people chatting amiably about their weekend or complaining about last week's tests. A few people are huddled together in the hallways making their finishing touches on their homework or just dozing off in a corner. I head to the classroom, hoping to maybe find Jaune - I still haven't gotten a reply from him - and see if he has calmed down since yesterday. Sadly, he isn't on his desk nor anywhere in the classroom.

I walk up to Velvet. "Velv, have you seen Jaune today?"

"No, haven't seen him all morning," she begins before adding, "D'you think he's still mad from yesterday?"

"I really hope he…" I pause for a second, staring at Velvet intently. "Wait, how do you know about yesterday?"

She lets out a squeak before speaking. "I… heard it from someone else."

"What?!" I almost scream.

"Well, he was very loud, apparently, so people had to notice," she meekly explains.

"Oh god. Velvet, has anyone said anything about what that fight was about?" I ask with a tinge of dread. She catches on and graciously replies.

"No, nobody knows what it actually was about," she whispers before shrinking down. "Though, people aren't really talkin' much about it."

"What do you mean?"

"People aren't interested in that, I guess," she offers with a concerned frown. "Is everything alright?"

I sigh. "I don't know."

She doesn't ask me anything else, so I head back to my desk and wait until Ms. Goodwitch arrives.

It's hard to focus on class throughout the day.

 **Monday, May 29th/ After School**

I head directly to the main gate after classes end only to find Yang and Ren waiting for me. "Is something wrong?" I dare to ask.

"Not at all," Ren answers before adding,. "Your sister wants to share a theory she had with me, so we were just waiting for you so she can tell all of us at once."

I look around and see that nobody's paying attention to us. "Sure, what's it about?"

Yang smiles. "So I was thinking that there's an incident related to the reflection at least once a month, but the month is almost ending. So I thought maybe that'd mean that there won't be another attack or abduction!"

"Wait, you mean ever?" I wonder with a bit of skepticism.

"Well, not ever. I just mean for a while, y'know?" She shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe we could let ourselves breathe a little."

"Sorry, but that's not how it works," Ren cuts in. "Shadows are always looking for ways to kill humans, so no matter how much time passes, they'll no doubt attack again." He lets his shoulders slump down. I didn't even notice when he got tensed up just now. "Probably the reason there has been such a long time since the last death is because there were two attacks the last month instead of just one."

Yang frowns a bit and turns her gaze away. "Sorry, dumb question."

"No, it wasn't," Ren says while shaking his head. "The point is that we can't get distracted or cling onto false hope. The reality is that this won't end just like that."

I look back and forth between the two of them, thinking of a way to cool things down before Ren speaks again. "I'll be scouting the Reflection tomorrow after school to see if there's been any developments. I'll let you know of anything I find."

And with that he walks past the gate and down the sidewalk towards town. As we walk in the opposite direction, Yang lets out an exasperated sigh. "You know? I was _just_ starting to like him."

"Please don't fight. That is the last thing I need right now," I grumble.

"Okay, Big-Sister-Sense is going bananas. What happened?" She gives me a side-glance.

I let out a sigh before answering. "Jaune didn't show up in school today. I'm worried about him." I pull up my mail on my phone, still no replies. "I don't get why he got so upset. I wish I knew, so maybe I can help him better."

"Hey, don't beat yourself over it." Yang wraps an arm around me. "He's a nice guy, remember? He'll come around eventually."

I give a sidelong glance of my own. "I hope so."

We remain quiet during the trek back home.

 **Monday, May 29th/ Evening**

After dinner, I head upstairs to write another mail to Jaune and wait for a few minutes before closing the account and getting some light reading done. After that, I turn the lights off and lie in bed for what feels like hours.

"What should I do, Mom?"

* * *

A/N: Okay, normally I wouldn't do this, but since I can't send a reply to this person and because their comment warrants it, I'll write my reply in here

 **"Guest chapter 51 . Jan 12  
Whoa what? Social Links go in reverse? Shit! Persona is getting harder and harder."**

Now, Social Links in the Persona games get _Reversed_ , they don't _go in reverse_. This means that the relationship with the Link Holder has become strained to the point that they avoid the player character, representing the REVERSE MEANING OF THE ARCANA. The effects this has in the gamplay are that the player character can't adavance the Link further, that they can't fuse more Personas of that Arcana and that the Personas they already had become unavaible. The player character can fix the link at a later point with the right actions, but due to the scheduled nature of the games, it is very easy to miss the chance of maxing the link out.

Don't worry, this story will cover a 100% "Playthrough," so you can bet this issue will be solved.


	53. Tu, 5-30

**Tu, 5/30**

 **Tuesday, May 30th/ Morning**

School is relatively calm early in the morning with students going to and fro down the hallways. Nothing really special happened other than some poor guy getting lectured in the middle of the hallway by Dr. Oobleck.

"Why is that man lecturing the dude with ancient history?" Someone asks from beside me. I turn to see the same turquoise-haired girl from the other day looking at me.

"For what I know, he probably stared at his helmet for too long," I sheepishly offer. "Or he might have just asked about it. I don't know."

"Uh-huh… Well, I always avoid teachers anyway. Already bad enough that they make exams to be so hard, right?" She says with a smile before sighing. "Well, gotta go to class. Laters."

The girl heads off down the hallway seconds before the bell rings, so I head to the classroom. Jaune isn't there today either, and I still haven't received a reply.

I try as hard as I can to focus on today's lessons.

 **Tuesday, May 30th/ After School**

After classes end, Ms. Goodwitch asks me to wait before leaving the room. I am confused and trepidatious at first, but comply with her nevertheless. Once everybody has left, she speaks to me. "Ms. Rose, I'd like to speak to you."

I look at the door. "I don't mean to disrespect you, professor, but I have Track Practice."

"I've talked with Coach Port on this and you're excused for the day," she says matter of factly.

I frown. "Why? Am I in trouble?"

"Of course not." She gives me a handwave, as if to literally disperse that thought. "No, this is about your project partner, Mr. Arc."

Uh-oh.

"It has come to my attention that you two had a discussion this past Sunday at the public library, did you not?" she inquires flatly.

"I… yeah," I admit. "It wasn't a discussion though. He was nervous about the exams, so he got really upset about the whole thing."

"Did he say anything in particular?" She asks, her gaze unfaltering.

I bow my head. "He… he said he doesn't want to deal with school again. But he's just upset!" I quickly add. "I'm sure he'll come around!"

Ms. Goodwitch brow furrows. "We can worry about that in another moment, Ms. Rose. Did he say anything else?"

I look at her with concern. "I… no, that's just it. Why are you asking me this?"

Goodwitch looks at me for a few good seconds before sighing and crossing her arms. "Principal Ozpin received a call this morning from Mr. Arc's parents. The kid didn't return home on Sunday night," she reveals. I feel my breath catching in my throat. "Apparently, they told him that they didn't want to cause an alarm yet, so they asked us to help look into the matter _discreetly_. As if that'd be of any help."

"What?!" I all but yell. "He goes missing for two days and they are more worried about being discreet?"

"Trust me, I'm also displeased by this attitude, but the matter is that Mr. Arc might have very well run away from his house." She looks at me in the eye. "Do you think you have any clues as to where he could've gone?"

"He… he wouldn't…" I look at the floor, my body tenses up. "I've been trying to talk to him, sort things out. He couldn't just run away, could he?"

Ms. Goodwitch frown switches from stern to sympathetic. "It wouldn't be surprising, unfortunately. I'm sorry, you must be worried about him." She takes out her phone and frowns at it before turning back to me. "You could keep trying to reach him, but if you haven't got any reply yet…" She trails off before nodding once and starting to leave. "Good afternoon, Ms. Rose."

Even as she left, I start feeling restless about what I just heard. Jaune didn't even return to his home after we fought? Why would he just leave like that? What is it that went wrong?

I don't feel like going to practice anymore, but I don't think I want to go back home just yet, so I decide to wait by the gym for Yang's practice to be over. After she comes out I rush to her. "Hi Rub- Hey, is everything alright?" She asks after seeing me.

"Jaune is missing. I think he ran away."

"What?"

"I… I should've stopped him. I just let him storm off the other day, and now he's who-knows-where!"

"Hey, easy there," she says while placing a hand on my shoulder. "None of this is your fault, okay?" Yang then pulls me into a hug, and remains like that for a few seconds. After that, I feel a little less distraught. "Look, I'm sure things will be fine. Jaune is… not someone who will get themselves in trouble for no reason. I'm sure that he's safe at least." She suggests with a smile on her.

I take a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Thanks, Yang. That helped." I'm still worried, but Yang's got a point; Jaune wouldn't possibly do anything so reckless.

But then again, why did he run away?

"You're okay, right?" Yang asks again, at which I just shake my head.

"I'm just… still wrapping my head around this. Let's go back home."

It seems it is about to rain, so we make our way quickly to the bus stop.

 **Tuesday, May 30th/ Evening**

Rain starts pouring just as Yang and I are crossing the door. "Whew! Just in time, huh?" Yang comments.

"Yeah," I look around the living room. "Where´s Dad, though?"

"Oh, right! I forgot. He was called early today to go to a meeting at the campus." Yang explains with a pained face.

"Yikes, guess he'll be held up again," I realize, mimicking her expression.

Yang takes her phone and dials his number. After a few seconds, it connects. "Hi, how are~ What?" Yang says, plugging a finger on her other ear. "I can't hear you!… _Blocked_?!… Alright, please take care!" She hangs up and looks at me with a grimace.

"Raining cats and dogs over there too?"

"Yep… he won't be coming home until tomorrow night again," she informs.

"Well, that sucks. What should we do now?"

"I usually eat and go to bed on days like this…" she trails off, picking up a pamphlet from the coffee table. "... or we could use our Webflick subscription and binge on some movies?" She suggests with a mischievous smile on her face.

"I… I don't know if that'd be okay. Wouldn't several movies be a bit too expensive?" I point out, at which Yang just laughs.

"Nah, you just pay for the subscription and watch as many movies or shows you want. It´s a pretty sweet deal," she explains.

"Oh, in that case, I guess there's no harm done," I finally concede.

After setting up our marathon and preparing some snacks we sit in the living room enjoying a number of movies that I've never watched before. Yang and I laugh at the comedic moments, joke about some scenes, and Yang makes fun of my reactions every time something shocking happens. We really enjoy this time well into the night.

In the middle of our fifth flick, Yang gets a phone call, so she pauses the movie and picks it up. "Hello?… Wha~?! Wait, I'll put you on speaker." She then presses a button on her screen and holds up her phone to me air.

" _You all hear me?!_ " It is Ren. He sounds agitated!

"Yes, what´s wrong?" I answer back.

" _There's been a peak! There are several Shadows congregating in one area of the Reflection!_ " He announces, much to our dismay.

"What?! What does that mean?!" Yang all but screams. "Did someone get killed again?!"

" _No, or at least not yet; it'd been announced in the news. What I managed to find out is that a large number of Shadows left their usual territory to congregate on the same spot, similar to how Leon's bookstore was brimming with them. From the looks of it, it seems that they've been converging for a day or two._ "

Yang's face lights up in realization. "Then that means somebody's been pulled into that place!"

" _Precisely! And whoever they are, they're still alive. That´s why we need to go into the Reflection tomorrow. If we're lucky, we can save that person before it is too late,_ " he states with urgency.

' _A day or two?_ ' I repeat in my head. Suddenly, a knot forms in my stomach. "Ren, where in the Reflection are the Shadows gathering?"

" _In the Public Library. Why do you ask?_ "

Yang snaps her gaze at me, and I shut my eyes tightly. "Oh god… It's Jaune!" I realize with dread.

" _What?_ "

"Jaune Arc! He's the person that was abducted!" I explain. "He's been missing since Sunday afternoon, and I last saw him in the library. It _has_ to be him!" I spring from the couch. "We need to go! We have to get him out now!" I make a start towards the door before Yang yanks my arm back. "Come on! We need to hurry!"

"Ruby, we can't leave!"

"Why-?"

 ***CRAAAAAAACKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM***

"... Oh," I mutter as the sound of the thunder died out.

" _And even without the weather, it is still dangerous to head into the Reflection at night. We have no choice but to wait until tomorrow,_ " Ren says through the speaker.

I relent from going to the door and take a deep breath. "Okay then, but we go in right after getting out of classes, okay?"

" _Yes, if we can save someone's life… We have to try._

" _Okay then, we'll meet tomorrow to proceed with this mission. After you get out of class, just go directly to the HQ. We'll rendezvous along the way. Until then._ " He hangs up, leaving both Yang and myself in silence, with the sound of the rain falling outside.

"Well, I guess now we know where he is," Yang says sheepishly. "So much for a quiet month."

"Yeah… Hey, I think I'll go to sleep now."

"Me too. Goodnight sis."

"Goodnight, Yang."

I walk into my room and change into my pajamas before sliding onto my bed, not bothering with the covers. My heart is racing at the moment and I feel my body pulsing with adrenaline. I can't let Jaune get killed in that place.

I sit on my bed and look at the picture on my nightstand. Mom is smiling at me as she always has. I pick up the portrait and look at it for a second. "… Wish me luck, Mom."

I put the picture back on its place and curl up in my covers.


	54. We, 5-31

**We, 5/31**

 **Wednesday, May 31st/ After School**

I couldn't focus much during classes, so when the last bell rang I quickly put away my things and shoot directly towards the classroom door and through the main entrance, walking on a brisk pace as I head towards the costume store. Once inside, I walk down the stairs into the basement and enter the room. Ren is already sitting on the computer, checking on the coordinates and other settings on the machine. Yang still hasn't arrived. "I'm here! Is everything okay?" I ask, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes, I'm just keeping an eye for the parameters," he replies, never stopping to type commands on the keyboard. "We should be ready after your sister gets…"

"Is everyone ready?" Calls Yang, bursting through the door.

"... here." He shakes his head before turning around in the chair. "Pick up your gear. We have a few things to go through before going in."

"Like what?" Yang asks as she puts her brass-knuckles on.

"I've been looking back at the expedition to the bookstore and tried to compare the data with the current situation. What I could find is that the concentration of Shadows between the bookstore and the library is almost the same. However, because of that, I fear we'll have the same issue as last time with the radar and not be able to get a good reading of the surroundings."

"Well, that isn't so bad," I point out while leaning on my glaive.

"That's not all. Do you remember the corridor you found that other time? The one that then disappeared?" After Yang and I nod, he continues. "I believe that the large number of Shadows is what caused that distortion, as if their presence altered the area they converged in." He crosses his arms and looks down in thought. "The fact that the distortion disappeared after you killed that Giant Shadow seems to support this theory."

Ren then turns back to the computer and brings up the map. "That, and this…" He types a command and a large area of the city gets a red-highlight - the area covered by the Reflection - along with a small red square a few ways away from its border. "This building is the library," he indicates.

"Yeah, so?" I wonder out loud.

"Last week, the Library wasn't part of the Reflection," he grimly says while idly pressing a few keys. "That in itself is worrying, but the weird thing is that it didn't just reach out to cover the library, but…" Ren presses the enter key, and Yang and I watch as the Library Building is dragged from its point in the map to just the outer edge of the Reflection. "… It pulled it into itself."

"Okay… that is really a distortion," Yang deadpans, staring at the screen with a dumbfounded expression.

"Yes. Besides that, there's also the possibility that another powerful Shadow might show up." He looks up at us. "This mission could be dangerous."

"Maybe, but we can't let Jaune down!" I say with determination. "We have to save him no matter what."

"I thought you would say that," Ren says while standing from his seat. "The base is the closest entryway to the library, so we don't need to activate the machine this time," He states before picking up the radar and standing next to us in front of the mirror.

With a mutual nod, we all cross the doorway.

 **Wednesday, May 31st/** **Reflection**

After crossing, we all make our way upstairs and into the streets, taking on a quick jog towards the place where the Library should be now. After a few minutes, we arrive to it and…

"Okay! That's distorted alright," Yang quips.

The shopping district ends abruptly to give way to the large building of the library. And by abruptly, I mean that it looks like somebody placed a jigsaw piece from a different puzzle! The library appears to just have been dropped over a sidewalk (and a nearby store), yet instead of anything looking destroyed, both buildings are seamed together with a thin white line of light. Even the steps going up to the library's door seem to perfectly give way to the store it is clipping through.

"Just what _is_ this place?" I wonder aloud.

"Does this happen often?" Yang turns to Ren, a truly concerned expression on her face. "Because I don't feel it happens often."

"I'm looking into it," Ren curtly replies before returning her gaze. "We have to focus on the current mission."

Ren makes it to the steps and we both follow him. After reaching the top step, he sets up the radar on top of a closed trash bin and starts turning dials and switches. "As I feared, there's more interference. I can't get a reading of how many Shadows there are."

"What about a different kind of reading?" I suggest. "Could you maybe find whether Jaune is actually in there?"

Ren nods and turns another knob. Immediately after, a couple of beeps start rhythmically sounding, along with a few green dots on the top half of the radar's face. "I cannot pinpoint a location, but there's definitely someone inside," he then looks up from the radar and back to us. "This might not be easy, but you have to locate Arc as fast as you can and bring him outside just as fast. There's no telling what sort of shadows you will find in there, so the less time you two stay in, the better."

"Get in. Find the dude. Get out… Yeah, probably won't be as simple as it sounds," Yang comments.

I turn to Ren. "We'll be okay. Just keep an eye for anything dangerous."

He lets out a sigh before simply saying, "I'll try as best as I can."

I turn to Yang, who gives me a firm nod before the two of us walk up to the door and open it.

Just like that time we first entered the bookstore, Yang and I are immediately surprised after seeing the inside of the building. Though no signs of a violent murder were in sight, the neatly ordered shelves of the house of knowledge are not only in disarray and almost ten times as numerous, but now are showcasing all kinds of cups and plaques and ribbons and all other kinds of prizes instead of books and encyclopedias. It had become a giant, white trophy room.

"Okay, this should be the point where I stop caring… but what the hell!" Yang mutters as she looks around the library.

/ _What is it?_ /

"Another distortion, I think. The library became a hall of fame-or-something!" I look around and start calling: "Jaune! Jaune, d'ya hear me?!" After hearing no reply, I ready my weapon and slowly push onwards with Yang quickly following behind. We round one of the trophy shelves and peek past it, only to find a shapeless Shadow lounging in the middle of the aisle, but instead of rushing to it I simply jump past the aisle and continue onward. Immediately after, we round different corner only for another Shadow to round that same corner at the same time.

"Oh boy," I mutter as the mass of shadows explodes upward and turns into a couple of lions chained to an iron ball each, with an indigo mask bolted to it, as well as a green samurai wearing the same mask on its face. I jump away from them as Yang rushes to my side, fist at the ready. "Ren, big scary kitties at twelve o'clock!" I report through the mic while the swordsman raises its weapon in the air and three columns of golden light shine on each enemy.

/ _I recall facing those before. Whatever you do, avoid attacking directly._ /

"Got it!" Yang says before punching her fists together. " _SATI!_ "

Yang's Persona rushes in and delivers a flurry of fast punches, which manage to hit the lions a few times, though the samurai dodges every hit directed at it. Right after that, one of the lions thrashes around, sending the iron ball hurling and hitting Yang square in her abdomen, causing her to reel back.

"Ow… that really hurt," she squeezes out.

I scowl at the lion before making my move. " _Wendigo!_ " The cloaked beast fades into the field as it lets out a bone chilling shriek. A second after, a geyser of blood-red energy bursts from beneath the lion, which makes it reel in pain but otherwise remains standing. The second lion then pounces at me and swipes a claw on my arm. My forearm stings as the claws tear my skin open, but I have no chance to register the pain as the samurai jumps between the two of us and swings its katana at the two of us, pushing us both backwards before it returns to its position.

Yang literally growls before summoning her Persona again, this time shooting three balls of fire at each enemy. The two lions fall down on their backs, but the Samurai barely flinches from the attack. Sati then winds up a fist before lunging in at sound breaking speed at the swordsman, which once again dodges the attack. After that, the first lion gets up and tries to maul Yang, but she evades the claw swipe and the lion falls back down. I summon Wendigo again and have it release another blood geyser beneath the Samurai, which hits it this time and drops it to its knees.

Yang and I take the chance now to plow through the downed enemies and make quick work of them; they dissolve into red and black smoke afterwards. After that, I suck breath through my teeth, due to the cut in my arm while Yang rubs her ribs. We don't have much time to recover before two other lions came barging from the aisle we left behind. I let out a whimper before hastily changing Personas. " _Yatagarasu!_ "

The raven comes flying from the ceiling and shines a bright light on top of Yang, who stops rubbing her sides and stands back up. " _Persona!_ " She summons Sati again, who then shoots a stream of fire at each lion in turn, who are both thrown over their feet in burning agony. Sati then delivers another flurry of punches that decimate the Shadows to nothingness.

"Shit, that almost came out of nowhere!" Yang exclaims while rolling her shoulders, before noticing my arm. "Aren't you gonna take care of that?"

I wince a bit after that before calling Yatagarasu again and healing my wound. / _You guys did well. But you can't afford fighting each enemy you find,_ / Ren says through the radio, making it clear what the implications were.

"Yeah, that might be a tad difficult," I reply back. "This place looks like a maze. We could spend hours in here!"

"Come on, there's gotta be a way…" Yang ponders aloud, looking at the shelf right next to us. After a few seconds of looking at it up and down, she speaks again. "Wait a second."

I turn to her. "What, did you find something?" I wonder, looking at the same shelf.

Yang keeps eyeing the piece of furniture as she speaks. "… I can totally topple this!" She confidently claims.

Face, meet floor. "I don't think that would be a good idea, Yang," I start saying from my new position. "Toppling one over would only hit the one after it, then another, and so on."

As I stand back up, she shrugs her arms. "Well, it was worth the try," she eyes the shelf again, this time fixing her gaze on one spot. "Hey, what would you know."

"What?" I ask cautiously.

"Look." She points at the plaque on one of the trophies. "Somebody related to Jaune won this prize."

"Huh?" I mutter as I take a closer look at the plaque and manage to read through the inverted inscription.

 _Best Young Musician  
1st Price, Violin  
Indigo Arc_

"Indigo… That's one of Jaune's sisters," I explain with realization.

"First Place in gymnastics, Shani Arc…" Yang reads aloud another plaque just a few steps away from the first before looking at the next case. " _Greatest Sweetheart_ , Olivia? Okay, that's just ridiculous."

I arch an eyebrow and look at the ribbon that Yang was looking at and sure enough, that's what it says. I scan the entire display, finding prizes for all kinds of formal competitions - like fencing, music, art and pageants - to the most trivial of accomplishments from eating vegetables, getting a nice boyfriend and… computer programming?

What all these prizes had in common though, is that all of them have been earned by someone named Arc. I scan again for the names and list them aloud. "Indigo, Shani, Olivia, Bianca, Azure and Violet… Six girls…" I muse to myself. "Maybe these were earned by Jaune's sisters."

"But what do they have to do with this?" Yang points out with a frown.

"I don't know… Maybe they're the reason he was angry the other day?" I look at the trophies, which start shining some sense in what he said last Sunday.

/ _We can't discard the possibility. Remember that the last location we explored also had some connection to the victim. Perhaps the distortion is somehow_ reflecting _Arc's problems._ /

Yang lets out a snort, prompting me to stare at her in befuddlement. "Sorry!" She quips before we turn our attention back to Ren.

/ _Either way, try to advance your way in, see if you can find him and get out of there._ /

"Easier said than done," I mutter with a sigh, looking back to the myriad of shelves around us.

In that very second, the crystal display shatters, throwing shards of glass on the floor. Another group Shadows - a fat cop accompanied with what appears to be a silver scarab - had come bumbling from behind another shelf, growling threateningly at us as they readied their guns at us. I swipe Personas and summon Wendigo, which makes dark-red energy explode from beneath the cops, which it evades before Yang steps in, hitting the same Shadow a couple of times with her fists, knocking it down. "Do your thing, _Sati!_ " Yang's Persona follows with her multitude of attacks.

However, each time an attack reached the beetle, it bounced off from it and directly into Yang, which she braces head on. "Oh, fuck you!" She shouts at it, even as the downed shadow gets back up and spins its cuffs, surrounding itself in a golden light. the beetle then does… something, which causes several specks of blue energy to rapidly spin around me before it all collapsed on me, compressing my body and causing me to hurt all over.

I change back to Yatagarasu. " _Persona!_ " A large ball of fire lands on the beetle, making it back away as some flames caught on it. Yang follows suit and has Sati rain fireballs on each Shadow. The fat officer dissolves into nothingness before the beetle charges up and tries to trample Yang. She's hit once but manages to avoid the second charge. Yang and I repeat the fire assault on the scarab a second time, turning it into ash.

After that, Yang and I take a second to catch our breaths. "You good?" She promptly asks.

"Yeah, I could be better, though."

After recovering a bit, the two of us continue walking through the library/trophy room/labyrinth, carefully threading between the randomly placed shelves and avoiding the Shadows as best as we can, and the ones that gang up on us we manage to fend off as quickly as possible, but we still take a beating a few times, requiring for me to heal the two of us. After what felt like an hour though, we still haven't found any signs of Jaune; to make matters worse, I feel like we are getting lost in here.

/ _It does look like you're walking in circles,_ / Ren says through the earpiece after Yang comments it to him. / _Unfortunately, I'm not getting any clear reading other than the Shadows you face. I'm sorry about this. I can still see Arc's signal in here, so he hasn't disappeared yet._ /

"That's good, I…" Yang starts before we round another corner, only to stop at her tracks and seeing a glass display shattered on the floor, the same one that the Shadows broke a while ago. "… guess."

"Well, we are definitely walking in circles," I sourly comment while I scratch my head. "How the heck are we gonna find Jaune if we can't find our way through this place?!"

"I think I recall we took a right from there, but I don't remember the rest," Yang says with a grimace before she starts looking around. "Maybe we could use something as breadcrumbs or…" She trails off, looking at something on the floor. "Hey, what's this?"

I follow her gaze and find a framed piece of paper among the glass. I reach to it and pick it up, finding that it has drawings of stylized skulls and electric guitars around its margin along with a scripture:

 **11th Rock'n'Roll Tournament  
Gladly grants the title of Rock Queen to:  
** **Sienna Arc.**

/ _What did you find?_ / Ren asks.

"Sienna?" I repeat. "Who is that?"

"Oh… right." Yang mutters in a somber tone. I turn to look at her.

"Yang, what is it?"

"Well, it… I had honestly forgot about it," she explains before looking at the recognition. "I think Jaune actually has _seven_ sisters, not six. Sienna is also Jaune's sister."

"What?"

"Yeah… so ten years ago, she won that tournament. Problem was, her parents didn't like that much apparently. From what I heard, there was some fighting and the next day she was missing."

"What?!" I repeat. "Why didn't anyone tell me?!"

"I forgot about it. It was a long time ago," Yang bows her head. "And I suppose that Jaune doesn't like talking about it."

/ _I also didn't know. But I guess that doesn't make things better…_ / Ren says sympathetically.

I look back at the recognition. "But… what happened?"

"Nobody knows, things just got hectic one day and the next… nothing, she was gone. Nobody knows exactly where she went."

I frown at this. "So you mean that Jaune's parents didn't do anything? Nothing?!"

"Ruby, I don't know! It…" she trails off, sighing dejectedly. "It didn't concern me…"

I stare at her agape, but shake off my shock and stare again at the print before looking back at the shelf, finding where it should've been in the display. I scan the entire case again, and find that there's definitely no other prize earned by Sienna, only the one. "There's nothing else with Sienna's name on it, only for the rock competition," I point out.

"Yeah, so?" Yang asks, but I don't listen to her, my brain working at full speed. I stand up and walk around the corner of the broken display and run down the length of the nearest aisle, with Yang following closely and start looking around. Soon enough I find another copy of the Rock Queen title on the shelf to my left. I then run to the right and look around, and after finding nothing on that aisle, I run back and to the end of the row on the left of the previous one, where I find another copy of the prize. "Ruby, what are you doing?"

"I found our breadcrumbs!" I happily announce. "Look, I believe these mark the right path!"

"What?" Yang looks at the title and frowns. "Rubes, are you sure it'd work that way?"

/ _We have to work on that assumption. The Reflection is getting distorted in some way by Arc, so this could be our best lead to finding him._ /

Yang crosses her arms, deep in thought for a second before nodding. "… Alright then. If it's the only clue we have."

We both then trek down the multitude of aisle and rows of displays, keeping an eye for where the clues are and for any Shadows that might just be in the way, dealing with those as they come. In just a few minutes, we finally find a change in scenery in the form of a completely open area, peppered with a number of tables and chairs that, like the shelves beforehand, are also thrown in disarray.

"So… seems we're back at the library," I quip as I scan the area for anything out of the ordinary.

"Yeah, but that means our trail ends here," Yang is quick to observe.

I keep looking as I start calling. "Jaune! Jaune, are you in here?"

For a moment there was nothing much of a response, but after a few tense seconds I hear a shaky voice. "He-hello?"

My heart skips a beat "Jaune?! Where are you?!"

This time, the response was immediate. "Over here! Ruby is that you?" Jaune calls as his blond hair peeks up from behind an upturned table. Yang and I run up to him, and I let a sigh of relief at seeing him in one piece. "Wha- what are you guys doing here? And what's up with that blade-thingy?" He asks after noticing my weapon.

"Coming for you, buddy!" Yang gives him a playful punch the shoulder.

"Ren, we found him!" I inform while pressing on the earpiece.

/ _Great! Now get out as fast as you can,_ / he replies.

"Right away!" I say before turning at a confused Jaune. "Come on, we're getting you out of here."

Jaune dazedly looked from me to Yang and then back to me. "Wha- how…" He starts shaking his head and backing away. "No, no! I can't leave!" He suddenly bursts out.

"Jaune, come on! We'll help you."

"Yeah, you can't stay in here any longer!" Yang adds with urgency.

"No, you don't understand. I _literally_ can't leave. I've tried to get out of this place already, but it won't let me!"

I frown at him, a sudden chill creeping up my back. "What do you mean?"

" **He's talking about me, I believe,** " an echoing voice calls from somewhere in the room.

Yang and I snap back at the entrance of the room and find a perfect double of Jaune leaning on the display case, regarding us with unnatural glowing, yellow eyes fixed in a mild frown. " **Gotta give it to him, the guy can be really stubborn for some things, considering he's a** _ **quitter**_ **!** " it adds snidely before getting off the shelf and slowly walking towards a table before starting to round it.

"Jaune, stay behind us, now!" I instruct him as Yang and I stand at the ready.

" **Oh? Ohohoh! That is** _ **rich**_ **!** _ **You**_ **are defending him?** " The doppelganger stops on its tracks and starts laughing hysterically. " **And here I thought that this loser couldn't be more pathetic but now he's having two girls fighting for him!** "

"Yeah, wanna say that to my face?" Yang challenges, tightening her fists.

The other Jaune just smirks, before hooking a hand under one of the tables and effortlessly flipping it to the side of the room. " **Maybe I want to…** " It then composes itself and regards us with a completely calm smile. " **But no. The only thing I want is to see Dear Jauney-boy breaking down like a sad** _ **loser**_ **.** "

I can hear Jaune tensing up behind me, but I simply raise my glaive at it "That won't happen."

" **Not-sorry to disappoint, but there's not a lot that you can do,** " it says as he approaches another table and flips it too, snapping it in half. " **The only reason I even exist is because of you, Jaune.** "

"Me?" Jaune echoes, stepping away from Yang and I, though never approaching the Shadow. "Apart from looking like me, what do you have to do with me?!"

" **Oh Jaune… I am just what you fear the most. I'm sure you know what I mean, Mr. Freakout!** " It mocks. " _ **Nothing works out! I don't wanna have to deal with this! What is the point?**_ **Whine,** _ **whine, WHINE**_ **! None of that is what you are actually afraid of!** " It then kicks the table in front of it, sending it skidding across the room and taking other tables with it.

I can't help but give Jaune a sidelong glance after hearing this. Jaune's eyes snap wide open before looking away. " **You know what I mean, don't you? You're actually scared of finding out that nobody gives a damn about you,** " it says in a condescending tone. " **Why put time and effort to get something right after many tries, if no one will care that you succeed, right?**

" **And I don't mean just anyone! No, no no no. All you want is for one person to tell you how proud he is. Hahaha, how cliched is that? And it isn't as if he's just too critical. Dear old dad just can't be bothered to care anymore!** "

"Shut up!" Jaune snaps at it. "You know why that is!"

The Shadow starts laughing sadistically. " **Right, right! That only started after he drove Sienna away from home! That's when he was critical!** " Jaune is baring his teeth now, while Yang and I could only look back and forth at the two Jaunes. " **Neither he or mom could accept what she did, so she ran away to teach them to be more appreciative. But uh-oh! That plan backfired, didn't it?!** " It backhands another table, completely splintering it. " **And to think that his fit of indifference is all because of Sienna, and that it only affects poor little Jaune… Heeeey, maybe she doesn't care about you either!** "

Whatever force was keeping Jaune in place breaks down as he lets out a primal scream and lunges at his double, winding up a punch directly at its face. The Shadow smirks, and catches the punch without losing its grounding. " **Nice try,** " it says before punching Jaune in the chest and sending him skidding through the floor before starting to walk after him. " **What happened to the** _ **can't-fail-if-I-don't-try**_ **-mentality, eh?** " Yang and I are quick to rush up between the two of them, stopping the Shadow on its tracks. " **Oh, come on! You'd really be doing him a favor if you would just go away or something!** "

"We're not letting you get any closer to him," I state to it.

The Shadow stares menacingly at the two of us before dark energy started swirling around it. " **You two are just wasting your time,** " it _booms_ out as the black smoke grows thicker. " **If you really think he's worth the effort…** " The energy suddenly explodes outward, breaking apart all the tables in the room into pieces before getting vacuumed into the center of a black vortex.

Board by board, the tables start reassembling themselves into some sort of device, as a figure inside the black smoke grows taller and taller. After a few seconds, the smoke clears and we see the new form the Shadow has taken. A lanky creature with dry, greying skin wearing brown rags and sporting a mane of dirty blonde hair covering its face is kneeling down in front of a wooden stock, to which it is being held… or would be held by it if the holes weren't so big for its hands and head to actually be caught in them. The tiled floor cracks up as seven black iron chains shot from the ground and snared themselves around the stock before pulling it tautly to the floor, right before the free ends of the chains slither in front of it and reveal the metallic snake heads attached to them. It listlessly raised its head to regard us with dull, yellow eyes and a twisted grimace. " **TheN YOU WoN'T MInd LosinG WITH hiM!** "

"Oh boy, this again?" Yang listlessly says.

"What… what is that?!" Jaune yells from where he lays. "What is going on?!"

"Ren! We got a Giant Shadow!" I report through the mic, but there's no response. "Ren?" I only get a feed of static. "It's no use."

"Well, it's clear what we need to know," Yang points out while lowering her stance.

" **YoU won'T SUCceED. yoU WIll faIL!** " The Shadow rambles as it slips out of the stock and causes a column of golden light to shine upon it, infusing it with an orange glow before assuming back its position in the device.

"I think it strengthened itself," I inform with concern.

"Well, two can play the same game! _SATI!_ " Yang's Persona appears over her and does a short dance, which makes a similar column of light to shine upon her. I stare at the tangle of chains snaring the stock. I switch Personas as an idea occurs to me.

" _High Pixie!_ " The faerie materializes in the air and points a finger at the Shadow. Above it, a single storm cloud releases a bolt of lightning on its head, causing it to twitch in place, but is otherwise unaffected by it. "Huh? But that should've worked!" I complain.

The snake heads hiss in unison as one of them rams into me, knocking me onto the floor. "Ruby!" I hear Yang scream before the snakes also lunge into her, though she remains standing. The lanky giant of a Shadow slips out again from the stock and dislodges it from the ground, lifting it above its head before swatting it down on us. I hear Yang screaming from the impact while black spots start dancing in my vision. I see the Shadow sticking the wooden stock back in the ground before resting its head and hands back in the holes. "Oh, NOW I'm angry! _Persona!_ "

Sati appears once again, rushing into the Shadow kicking and punching and hip-checking the Shadow and the chains all over. However, it doesn't even flinch or make a single grunt of pain. A snake-chain rams Yang again before the not-bound giant squanders around the wooden structure and swings a clawed hand at Yang.

I stand up with a wince as I slide my hand over my evoker. " _Yatagarasu._ " The Raven flies over my head, raining green light around me and healing my injuries. I look over at Yang, who seems to be doing somewhat better. "I don't think punching it does a lot to it."

"I noticed," Yang mutters, rubbing her abdomen before straightening up again. "Then maybe we can burn it down, _Persona!_ " Sati appears once again, shooting a stream of fire at the Shadow and enveloping it in flames. After a few seconds, the flames die out and reveal not a single singe or ember in the Shadow's body! "What the hell?!"

" **I toLD YOU beForE! NothING yOU try is EvER goNNa be enOUGh!** " The monster drones even as a snake chain rams Yang again before it raises both hands and shoots lightning at the two of us. I twist in pain as I watch Yang falling on the ground twitching. " **Why try if You'Ll oNLY rEGret IT?!** "

The Shadow slides again out of its bind and starts thrashing and pounding its hands on the stock, hammering it further into the ground and cracking the rest of the floor, sending a shockwave that hits both me and Yang. Even as the impact goes through me, I feel something in me getting… shaken or something.

I shake my head before looking at Yang, who is trying to get off the floor. "Yatagarasu!" I call out in order to heal Yang, only that the raven never comes. "What?"

Yang manages to stand up on her own before hitting her fists together. "Sati!" Her Persona doesn't appear either. "The fuck?!" She mutters while looking at her hands.

"What are you doing?" Comes Jaune from behind us. "Why aren't you hitting it again?"

"I don't know! We…" I look at Yang, who just shrugs at me. "We can't use our powers for some reason!"

" **You sEE? THerE'S no poiNT in dOINg anytHING BeCAuse you'll only ENd up POWerlESs!** " The Shadow bellows as the snakes attack me once again along with itself, swinging a hand at the two of us, and sending us sliding backwards. Yang and I are breathing heavily, and I can feel myself doubling over in pain. I turn my gaze to Yang, who is at least holding herself up, but also looks very concerned.

I try to focus on my other Personas, but I can't feel any one of them. "Yang, I think we have a problem."

"Yeah, I can tell," she looks down at her evoker and then at me. "What are we gonna do?"

"… I don't know."

"Can't you do anything?" Jaune asks from behind us. "There's gotta be… SOMETHING you can do!"

" **THere's NOThing thaT CaN BE Done!** "

I ignore its whining and cross my weapon in front of me. "We'll think of something… I hope," I whisper even as Yang also adopts a defensive position. Another of the chains attacks me before the Shadow lifts the stock again and hammers us both with it. The edges of my visions blur even as it once again adopts its position in the stock.

"Guys! You have to do something now!" Jaune cautiously approaches us. "It is killing you!"

I ground my teeth, trying as hard as I can to feel my Personas, but I find nothing. I look back at Jaune, who is staring at the Shadow with dread. It then starts talking again. " **gIVE Up alREADY! YOU Can'T wIN! You'rE GoNNa diE!** "

"Shut up already!" I scream back at it before turning to my back. "Jaune, you need to get away as fast as you can!"

"What?" He turns to look back at me. "But, what about you?"

I give Yang a look, and she catches on what I'm planning. "We'll distract it long enough for you to get to safety, and then we'll go after you," she explains.

"But, you don't know if you'll make it! You could die!"

"Jaune, we came here to save _you_!" I yell back. "Just go! We'll make it!"

I struggle to keep myself from trembling as I stare down at the Fear Shadow. I tighten my grip on my glaive and get ready to keep fighting, until Jaune speaks again. "NO!"

"Jaune!" I snap back.

"No! I won't run away and leave you two behind! This thing is after _me_ , so there's no way in hell I'm letting you die because of me! I WON'T LET YOU DOWN!" He rushes past us, standing between us and the Shadow. "Do you hear that?! I might be scared of messing things up or never getting my dad to be excited about anything again. But that doesn't mean I'll be afraid of trying!"

A blue glow starts emanating from Jaune's left hand, which quickly covers the rest of his body. "And I'm definitely not scared of a sonuvabitch like you!" He snaps his arm upwards, pointing a finger to the ceiling.

" _PERSONA!_ "

A loud boom shakes the entire area as blue light explodes in every direction. The smell of ozone fills the air as an after image of Jaune leaves his body and breaks apart in crystal shards before taking on a new form. At first, he has a featureless, human-shaped body, before more shards gathered around his legs and arms, creating blocky, twice-as-thick pieces of white and blue armor on each limb. Similar armor pieces form around his pelvis and abdomen while his chest and shoulders get a piece of blue, chevron-shaped armor with a triangular, golden plate just coming out of his chest and halfway up to its chin. Finally, his head is completely enveloped by an oversized knight-like helmet, fixed tightly on his shoulders and obscuring his face completely except for two glowing, deep-blue eyes.

The new Persona regards us with a stalwart gaze as green light shines on both Yang and I. Soon enough, I feel my injuries mending themselves and my strength returning to me. Beside me, Yang is also checking on herself in amazement, before Jaune walks back to us and his Persona disappears. "Are you two better?"

"Y-yeah," I mutter. "Thanks Jaune, I owe you one!"

"It's the least I can do," He says with a smirk before glaring back at the Shadow.

" **No! YoU CANnot wIN! TheRE'S No POInT IN THis!** "

"Man, it sure sounds annoying. How about we prove him wrong?" He offers as he lifts his left hand, where a silvery-grey evoker is now resting.

"That's the best thing I've heard all day!" Yang agrees. At the same time, her evoker and mine shine twice, and I feel all my Personas appear again inside of my mind.

"Alright, It's round two," I change Personas before closing my hand in front of me. " _Brunhilde!_ " The horsewoman comes galloping to the field, shooting an ice pyke at the Shadow, which shatters and covers it in frost that it then shakes off of itself.

Jaune steps up and summons his Persona, which materializes a spear out of thin air and uses to shoot a bolt of lightning at the snake heads, which reel back from the impact. I immediately take note of that. "The chains also take damage. Yang! Aim for the snakes!"

"My pleasure! _Persona!_ " Sati appears once again and shoots two balls of fire at both the Shadow and the chains snaring it. The Giant doesn't flinch, but the snakes writhe as the flames hit them before one of them retaliates at me as I step out of the way. The Shadow then slides out of the stock and goes for a long sweep of its claw, nicking all three of us.

After we all recover from the last attack, I speak up. "Those chains are just as vulnerable as the main body… Guys, let's focus on attacking those chains, then focus on the ugly asshole!" I instruct before I switch to Wendigo. " _Persona!_ "

The shrieking beast releases another explosion of dark red energy around the chains before Jaune summons his Persona. " _Setanta!_ " The golden plate on his chest starts glowing a violet aura that is then projected on me. A second after, I feel my bones and skin strengthening.

"Thanks!" I call back as Yang shoots another volley at the entire Shadow. The snakes whip at me again, but I barely feel the hit before the Giant conjures another salvo of lightning. Yang falls down again, I feel a twinge of pain but Jaune remains unharmed, even though he flinches at first. I summon Wendigo again and release a blizzard storm that covers both chains and Giant in ice, which of course they shake off right after.

" _Persona!_ " Jaune steps forward again and has Setanta rain an arch of lighting directly at the chains, which hiss in pain as they start twitching in place. Yang stands up and follows it with a fire hose directed exclusively at them.

The chains then lunge at Jaune, who steps back from the impact before the Shadow takes a sweep at him, though he manages to evade that hit.

"Wow, that was close!"

"Yeah, but I don't think we're doing much better yet," Yang explains. "That thing doesn't even look winded up."

"I know. Nothing we hit it with seems to do much! It's like it has armor or something!" I theorize out loud.

"Damm it… Can't you like soak it up so that I can electrocute it?" Jaune suggests all of a sudden.

"Uh, I don't know if you noticed, but we are a little short on water guns." Yang snarkily comments.

"Yeah but, you can shoot fire," he points at Yang, before turning to me. "And you have ice… See what I mean?"

I look straight at him and then at Yang, who is now smiling from ear to ear. "It's worth a try," I say with a grin before glaring back at the Shadow. "We gotta do it at the same time!"

"Got it!" The two of them say.

" _WENDIGO!_ "

" _SATI!_ "

" _SETANTA!_ "

One after the other, our Personas shoot a flurry of ice, fire and electricity that hit the snake-headed chains and the Shadow they're covering, coating them in frost, then melting that ice into water and electrifying that water, causing arcs of lightning to shoot across the Shadow's body before the chains all break down and disintegrate into rust.

" **WhaAAt?! NO!** " It growls, still covered in sparks before it slips out from the stock and begins pounding on it. Only this time, instead of sending a shockwave at us, the wooden structure breaks in half, sending it into a rambling fit. " **No, no, NO, NO, NO, NO!** "

"HA! Who is powerless now, bitch?!" Yang mocks as we all stand at the ready.

"Everyone, hit it with all you got!" I yell.

One after the other, we wail the gangly giant with every attack that we have, making it cry in pain with each ice spike, lightning bolt and fireball we can muster while it can't even raise its bony arms to retaliate. Finally, it is Jaune's Persona which delivers the killing blow, hitting the Shadow right between the eyes with an electrified spear. As its flesh explodes into black ichor, the Shadow bellows a last " **FUCK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuu….!** " And then it dissipates into black smoke, leaving nothing of the Shadow left as Setanta hovers proudly in place before finally disappearing.

"Wow… that was… heh," Jaune mutters ruefully.

"Hey, are you okay?" I place a hand on his shoulder.

"I… think I'll pass out," he says with a straight face.

I make a tsk sound with my tongue. "Okay," and he promptly falls down unconscious.

Yang and I stare for a second before reaching to pull him up and carrying him back to the entrance. The second we pick Jaune up, Ren comes skidding around the corner, completely out of breath. "Are you okay?!" He pants.

"Yeah, all three of us managed," Yang says with a toothy smile. "What happened to you though? Did your phone broke or something?"

"… Yes," he mumbles. Yang's eyes shoot wide open.

"Oh, damn."

"What happened?" I promptly ask.

"The radar just… shut down. There was some feedback after that Shadow appeared and it shut off."

I change a worried glance with Yang. "That is bad, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I could salvage the data, but I'm not holding a lot of hope on that," he shakes his head and looks at the unconscious Jaune. "Though given the alternative, this is an acceptable loss. You managed to save him, that's what's important," he states.

"Yeah," I agree before pulling Jaune's arm over my shoulder. "C'mon, let's take him out of here before anything else happens."

The trek out of the library is still a difficult one, but we luckily don't find any Shadows on the way back. Once outside, we make a beeline towards the store we came in from and all four of us walk through the exit. Once in the headquarters, Yang takes Jaune and drags him to a couch and sits him in it. She, Ren and I then slump on different chairs to wind down for a second before we start explaining to Ren what went down in the library.

"So he also awoke to his powers?" Ren echoes while leaning forward. "I have to admit that I'm surprised. He's the last person I'd imagine having a Persona."

"Do you wonder that often?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"No. But I've been open to the possibility ever since last month," he cups his head on his hands. "I feel it'd be better not to think too much into it."

"Agreed. The work already has enough drama to _add_ math problems onto them," Yang jokes, hanging her head on the rester of a chair.

"You can say that again," Jaune mutters from his seat.

"Hey! How're you?" I ask as soon as he sits up.

"Ugh… I'll be okay, I guess," he scratches his head as he takes on the surroundings. "What happened?"

"You… were abducted into an… alternate dimension," I sheepishly explain. "You've been gone for three days."

"Wowowo-wait, what? Three days?!" Jaune all but screams.

I take turns with Yang to explain everything we know about what transpired in the wake of his disappearance, and each second his pupils become smaller and smaller. After we're done, he slumps back on the couch. "Oh man, that's not good."

"Yeah. Thing is," I start, now wearing a mild frown. "That nothing terribly huge has happened over this whole deal… I can't tell if that's good or not," I ruefully say.

"Well, Mom and Dad must at least be going up the walls. Mom especially…" Jaune says burying his face in his hands. "Man, what am I gonna tell them?"

At that moment, Ren - who had been quiet during our explanation - speaks up. "You needed some time away from your home and school, so you asked me if you could crash at my house for a few days. I convinced my parents to help keep matters secret."

Jaune turns to him. "Huh?"

"It's your alibi. In actuality, my folks know what really happened, but are willing to comply with this. You have nothing to worry about."

"Huh, re-really?" Jaune asks dumbfounded. Yang and I can't help but share his expression. "Dude, thanks! Really, I don't know what I would've done!"

"Don't thank me yet. That'll ease some of their concern, but I can't promise you won't have a talk with them," Ren says curtly before looking straight at Jaune. "Sorry I can't do much else."

Jaune lets out a sigh. "To be fair, I think I can handle that now… Thanks, really."

Ren nods once before standing up. "It is getting late, we can continue another day. We should all head home and rest. You all deserve it."

"No arguing with that," Yang quips before getting up from the chair and stretching up. All four of us walk up the stairs and out, with Yang, Jaune and I heading for the bus stop while Ren leaves for his home. Jaune is pensive the whole walk to the stop and doesn't really say a word other than "goodbye" as his bus arrives.

Yang and I get up on the next bus and head back home.

 **Wednesday, May 31st/ Evening**

Dad has fallen asleep in the sofa, so we both walk quietly to the kitchen and grab a quick snack before heading for bed.

My brain is drained so I pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow.

~~~(-_-)~~~

 **Wednesday, May 31st/ Midnight**

A man sits in a dimly lit room, looking over some pieces of text on a desk when somebody else enters the room. "Hmm?" The man listens to this new person with utmost attention.

He lets out a sigh as his eyes drift back to the desk "Another one?" He echoes. He brings up a notepad and stares at it. "We need to prepare for the next time…"

* * *

 _The strength of the heart to face one's fears has been made manifest. Jaune Arc has earned the facade to face life's hardships. The Persona Setanta._

* * *

Arcana Analysis:

 **Setanta (Magician)** :  
Resists: Ice  
Blocks: Electricity  
Weakness: Fire, Nuclear  
Zionga, Media, Skewer, Rakukaja

 **SYNERGY CHAIN** :  
Full Shock (Ice Skill Fire Skill Electric Skill):  
Increased Electric Damage on the affected enemy (enemies) + Chance of inducing PANIC

 **Onnem Musha (Strength)** :  
Weak: Darkness  
Gale Slash, Matarukaja, Evade Phys  
 **Enslaved Beast (Strength)** :  
Weak: Fire  
Assault Dive, Double Fangs, Counter  
 **Adamant Beetle (Emperor)** :  
Reflects: Physical  
Kill Rush, Frei

 **Laughstock (Magician)** :  
Resists: Electricity, Fire, Ice, Wind, Darkness  
Blocks: Physical  
Fatal End, Herculean Strike, Mazionga, Tarukaja, Gale Slash, Soul-Crushing Regret  
 **Iron Snare (Magician)** :  
Blocks: Physical  
Pierce Attack

Soul-Crushing Regret (Signature Skill): Strike Damage + High chances of causing all foes to PANIC.


	55. Th, 6-1

**Th, 6/1**

 **Wednesday, June 1st/ Morning**

Yang and I are half-asleep during the entire bus ride to the school and I barely register myself walking up to the classroom. In front of the door, I find Ms. Goodwitch talking with Jaune. He also looks lethargic, but does his best to meet her eye. I don't catch anything about what they say, but I see her giving him a nod before he enters the room. I enter from the far door and walk to my desk. As I walk beside Jaune, he slightly averts his gaze. I'm too tired to mind that, so I just sit and keep my eyes on the books throughout all morning.

 **Wednesday, June 1st/ After School**

I have to assist to track practice today, so I change uniforms and get to the field. The exercise is extreme today, but it helps me clear my mind. After everything that went down yesterday, this is a welcome change of pace.

I feel drained by the time practice ends, but I also feel a little less stressed than in the morning. I head for the bus stop and wait for Yang to head back home.

 **Wednesday, June 1st/ Evening**

Dad is making hot dogs out of Yang's turkey sausages, much to her chagrin. As the two of them just banter in the kitchen, I huddle on the couch to watch whatever's on the TV and wait until dinner is ready.

The hot dogs came out okay, fortunately. Dad follows up with a chocolate bar that he divides in three, a piece for each of us. Funnily enough, Yang doesn't object to this. Can't say I'm terribly mad either, the chocolate is good!

After finishing, I head upstairs and take a nice hot shower before going to my room and hopping onto my bed. I boop my mom's picture and give her her goodnight before rolling over and falling asleep.

* * *

A/N: A brief announcement, everyone. I'll be going on a (hopefully) small hiatus. Trust me, it is for the sake of the story, so it'll be good in the end.


	56. Fr, 6-2

**Fr, 6/2**

 **Sunday, June 2nd/ Morning**

After History, Goodwitch calls for everybody's attention to announce that the exams results would be posted next week, before starting her lesson without missing a beat. There are varying reactions in the classroom, but everybody stays quiet when she shoots the room a scowl. I put all my focus on the lesson.

 **Sunday, June 2nd/ After School**

I've felt better than yesterday the entire morning, though it seemed that all teachers were set on covering as much material as possible during the four and a half periods of classes today, so by the time it ends, pretty much everybody is numbed out. I head over to get a soda from one of the machines near the cafeteria and spot Jaune on my way there.

"Hey Jaune!" I call. He halts and turns around, seemingly caught off guard. "Everything good?"

"Uh, *cough* yeah. I'm… doing okay," he says hesitantly. "Just, getting my head straight… still."

"Yeah. Things have been… crazy, huh?" I offer apologetically.

"Yeah…" He scratches the back of his head. "Sorry, can we talk another day?"

I feel myself shrink. "Sure, no problem."

"Thanks," he says before he turns and walks back down the hallway. All the while, I feel my stomach knotting itself over.

"Hi Ruby!"

I nearly jump out of my skin before turning to find Nora, smiling at me. "Oh my God, Nora! I asked you to never do that again!"

"Oops, I forgot!" she apologizes. "Anyways, what's up? I saw you talking with Jaune a second ago. Everything alright? Are you two having a lover's quarrel?" she asks with a coy smile.

"Wha…?" I wonder dazedly before shaking my head. "No, nothing like that. Just… there was a misunderstanding and I didn't put enough effort to clear things up." I shrug my shoulders, "Things are okay now, just a little tense, is all."

"Weeeeell, that's no good y'know?" Nora points out. "You know what you need?"

"Wait for things to calm down on their own?" I dare to guess.

"One afternoon of good old fashioned fun coming riiiiiiight up!" she happily announces before grabbing my wrist and marching towards the school gate with me in tow, despite my protests.

What follows is what people could call an intensive treatment against boredom, starting with a visit to the ice cream shop, where she treats us to a triple-scoop cup of ice-cream; I get strawberry, chocolate and pistachio, while Nora gets strawberry, bubblegum and cherry (yes, it is all pink). After that, we make a visit to the arcade, which installed a new VR display for a FPS game. I completely annihilated her the first round… then she found a rocket launcher and exploited it in the following four matches. We hang around for another while before heading back to the food court and each of us have a bottle of mineral water. To her credit, I can't stop smiling.

"That was lots of fun, right?" she asks with a smile of her own.

"Totally. It is just what I needed," I answer back.

"Am I good, or am I good?" she cheekily taunts me before taking a gulp from her bottle.

"Thanks a lot, Nora. Really, you didn't have to do this."

"That's fine. I wanted to help out, y'know," she explains. "You wouldn't get anything done if you suddenly become just another angsty teenage girl."

I decide not to correct her about my age, and instead nod. "Sorry, I don't mean to sound rude, but why are you so concerned of whether or not people are happy and stuff? I mean, there's nothing wrong with it, but it is kinda unusual" I point out, scratching my cheek.

Nora, for her part, just keeps donning a calm smile. "Because I like to cheer people up. I don't know, it makes me happy to think that I could brighten someone's day up I guess," she shrugs before finishing her bottle and throwing it in a recycle bin. "If I can help someone with something, I might as well do it, y'know?"

"That is very kind from you. And hey, I doubt anyone would be annoyed of that," I say, prompting her to giggle.

"Yeah, I've had an impressive track record, if I do say so myself."

We both laugh and spend more time together before we say our goodbyes. I take the next bus to the neighborhood.

 **Sunday, June 2nd/ Evening**

After crossing through the front door, I'm treated to the amusing sight of Dad and Yang playing Just Dance in the living room.

"Beat it, old man! I can dance circles around you!"

"I can still shake my skeleton, young lady! Nobody could ever surpass me on the dance floor!"

"Be careful! You wouldn't want to break your hip!"

They just keep bantering and dancing while I stand there frozen, then I close the door and slowly make my way to the kitchen, pulling my eyes away only after the doorframe cut my line of sight. After shaking off my astonishment, I look at the time and start working on some chicken fajitas for dinner. While I'm preparing the tortillas, I get a phone-call. It's Jaune.

"Hi Jaune, how're you feeling?" I ask after answering.

" _Better, thanks,_ " he answers back. " _I… I was wondering if we could meet sometime tomorrow. Talk things over. Would there be any problem?_ "

"None at all. Where would you like to meet?"

" _I think my place would be best. I'll send you the address in a text. Thanks._ "

He hangs up, so I continue working on dinner when I hear a noise in the living room and rush over to see Dad splayed down on the floor "Oh my God, Yang! What happened? He didn't break his hip, did he?!"

"Don't worry, he's just laying down. It happens every time," she explains while panting slightly.

"So… tired…" he wheezes out.

"Then… what was that noise?"

"Him lying down," she says with a shrug. "He's fine, don't worry about it."

"Uh… okay… anyways, I'm making dinner. Wanna help out?"

"Sure."

"You… go… just need… ten minutes…"

While both Yang and I cook dinner, I mention Jaune calling to meet him tomorrow. Yang suggests that she should come along, and while I don't think that's entirely a good idea, I have to relent.

After eating dinner, I stay with Yang watching movies in the living room while Dad heads to his bed. After enough dumb movies to dull my mind, both of us head to rest for the night.

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): **REVERSE.  
** 02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 2.  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 1.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 2.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 2 ( **Rank Up!** )  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 5.

* * *

 **A/N** : Hey everyone.

So yeah, this Hiatus became longer than what I anticipated. I'm not any more happy about it than you are, but I could at least push this chapter in.

I originally wanted to post 2 chapters back to back to make up for the wait, but work and RL keeps getting in the way, and I didn't want to you guys waiting another week to do so, so I am publishing it right now. I really hope you enjoy it, I hope I can get next chapter next week.

As always, a huge thanks (in no particular order) to my co-planner, Kalin Scarlet, and to my two proof-readers, May Yuki and Heathcliff.

So, hope to see you next week. Bye.

(And quick heads up, I'm stumped with my P4 playthrough. I am just past the aftermath of Rise's dungeon. So please, no spoilers past that, thanks).


	57. Sa, 6-3

**Sa, 6/3**

 **Saturday, June 3rd/ Morning**

After having taken a bath and opening the bathroom door, Yang pulls me out of it and slams the door behind her, a troubled expression on her face. A second after, some unholy sounds accompanied by Yang's grunts come out of the bathroom. "Are you okay?" I dare to ask only for a sharp, long toot to scare me away and downstairs. I find Dad squeezing fresh orange juice in the kitchen. "Dad, I think Yang's sick."

"Yeah, I heard too. That's why I'm making juice, it always helps her feel better."

After a few minutes, Yang comes walking into the kitchen and staggers to a chair, where she starts taking sips from a tall glass of orange juice. "I put some medicine there, too. It'll help," Dad points at a pill sitting right next to her, which she promptly takes.

"Thanks…" She croaks out while nursing her glass.

"You sure you'll be okay?" I ask concerned.

"Yeah, gimme a minute or two."

"You should take it easy today though. Trust me, I've seen enough that that's no condition to head out," Dad points out.

Yang rolls her eyes. "I'll be okay. I dumped all of that _out_ of my system."

I shudder. "Gross."

While Yang skips breakfast, Dad and I have something simple to eat. I suggest to Yang that I could go alone to Jaune's house, but she just waves it off. "Don't worry. This thing won't get me down."

I decide to drop it then and wait a while before we both head out to Jaune's house.

 **Saturday, June 3rd/ Daytime**

After following Jaune's address, we arrive at an elegant front gate for a three story residence that just screams nouveau riche. Despite being a relatively small house, it has a lot of care put into it. A marble-white facade with wooden columns supporting the building's porch, atop of which lays a balcony to the second story floor. There's not much space between the gate and the house itself, but the little garden also shows a lot of care. There is a bright green lawn and a flower garden adorning the front of the porch, with a gravel trail snaking its way from the gate to the garage.

"Well… I'll be damned." Yang mutters.

"Ditto."

"Should we… knock?"

I turn to one side of the gate, looking for some sort of doorbell. "Well, I don't see another option," I say after finding nothing other than a code-panel on the other side of the gate.

"Hey look, someone's there! Hello! Excuse us?" Yang starts calling before I can stop her, raising her voice more than it is necessary.

After cringing, I look past the gate to see a woman raising her head next from the flower garden. She's wearing blue overalls and gardening gloves and holding a shovel in one hand. She then stands up, removing her hat to reveal beautiful, golden hair, with the bangs combed backwards, framing her spectacled face. The woman, who probably isn't beyond her thirties, regards us with a cautious look. "Hello… You wouldn't happen to be Jauney's friends, would you?"

Yang hides a snicker behind a hand while I speak up. "Yeah, we came to see him. Can we come in?"

Her face instantly lights up with a wide smile. "Sure! It's not a problem!" she says while rushing to the gate and inputting a code on the panel, after which the gate slides open a few meters, enough for the two of us to walk through. "I'm Azure. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Likewise. I'm Ruby, and she's my sister, Yang."

"'Sup?"

I facepalm.

"I'm okay, thanks for asking. Sorry that I can't lead you to the house proper at this moment, but I'm sure someone else will help you!" At that second, she snaps her head to the house and lets out a shrill scream. "INDIGO! GET OVER HERE AND HELP OUR GUESTS IN!"

"I'M BUSY AT THE MOMENT! ASK SHANI TO DO IT!" Answers another person, her screams thankfully muffled.

"SHANI'S NOT HOME! AND I'M WITH HENRY ON THE PHONE! YOU GO GET THEM!" A third voice interjects

"EVERYBODY STOP YELLING! I'LL GET THEM!" a decidedly male fourth voice interjects from somewhere else in the house. Yang and I recover from our stupor and take cautious glances at Azure, who just smiles placidly before going back to the flowers.

"That was… something," I comment.

"Yeah, let's go before a warhead falls on us or something," she says as we both hurry up to the entrance. After a few seconds, Jaune opens the door and regards us with a tired and apologetic frown.

"Sorry about that," he steps to the side to let us in. "Please, let me take you to the living room."

We step in after cleaning our shoes on the doormat. "Is it really okay? We could come at another time," Yang suggests.

"Don't worry, it's just our sibling quirk," Jaune dismisses it before turning and analyzing our expressions. "Um… you didn't really think we were fighting, were you?"

The two of us exchange a glance and answer at the same time:

"No."

"Yes."

Jaune lets out a chuckle. "It's okay. At this point, I don't care about _that_ , so it's cool."

At this point, we've arrived to the living room and all take a seat around the coffee table. In comparison to the outside, the inside of the house really doesn't feel that different from our home, save for some nicer furniture and decorations. The 50-inch television with every video game console in the market on one side of the room does stand out a little, though. Yang and I can't help but sit awkwardly as we look around the room.

"So… your house is very pretty," I say with a smile.

"Yeah, your folks must be pretty loaded, huh?"

"Yeah… I really don't think about it, to be honest. It's nice and all, but you guys know who I am, right? Just a regular guy with regular prob… um… yeah."

Another awkward silence falls on the room, one that I don't know how to break. Finally, Jaune starts once again. "So… the thing that happened the other day…" I prepare myself to answer the sleight of questions he surely has. "Sorry that you had to deal with that."

Not what I was expecting. "What do you mean?"

"That...it was my fault that this whole thing happened, right?"

"Well, it's not like you got pulled into that place on purpose or that you wanted that thing to appear when it did," Yang quickly points out

"She's right, Jaune. What happened isn't your fault. You don't have to think that."

He bows his head. "Still, I feel like a real piece of-"

A loud bubbling sound cuts his thought before both Jaune and I snap our heads at Yang, whose pupils shrunk down to pinpricks. "Crap… Bathroom?!" she demands as she shoots off from her seat.

"Second door to the left, down the hallway!" Jaune screams back as the two of us watch her run out like a comet. "Is she alright?" he asks, concerned.

"Yeah, she's just really, _really_ dumb," I half bury my face in my hands.

"Heh, I know what you mean…" He bows his head down again. "Actually though, the real thing I want to apologize is the way I acted the other day, Ruby. I… I got mad at you for no reason, and then ran away because I didn't want to deal with this problem!" He curls his hands into loose fists. "I let my fears get the best of me and I ended up letting you down, both as a work partner and as a friend. I'm sorry for that. Really."

"Jaune…" I stare for a few seconds and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry too. I could've done a little more to help you then. Had I known what was going on, I could've helped you more than I did."

Jaune lets out a friendly laugh. "Well, guess I should've known that you wouldn't let _me_ down. So… I promise that I got your back from now on, and that I'm not gonna fail you guys. Sound good?"

"Yeah! Thanks, Jaune," I smile. "Besides that, how're you doing with… y'know?"

"I'm… doing great, actually. Mom and Dad were pretty receptive to what I said to them, and Dad started taking counseling over the matter. I… we all think that he wants to come to terms with what happened with Sienna, you know?" he explains soberly. "But things have been better… in a sense."

"That's good to hear," I say when my phone receives a text message. It's from Ren in the group-chat. "Excuse me."

 _REN: Is everyone free to meet tomorrow?_

 _YANG: Hopefully (sickface)… why?_

 _REN: I did some digging, and there's something we need to discuss.  
_ _REN: Also, someone ask Arc if he can also come._

I look up from my phone. "Hey, do you wanna come with us tomorrow?"

"Hmm? To that costume-store's basement-place?" I nod to him. "Sure, I'm free tomorrow."

 _RUBY: He says he can._

 _REN: Good, we'll meet tomorrow early at the HQ.  
_ _REN: Until then._

 _YANG: Sure..._

"Is something wrong?" Jaune asks with curiosity in his eyes.

"It was Ren. He wants to meet tomorrow to talk something over. He also wanted to invite you, for some reason."

"Well, good thing, because I wanted to ask you guys when you planned on meeting anyways!" He smiles. "I wanna help with… whatever magical, weird thing you're dealing with."

Before I can say anything, Yang walks in, looking rather pale. "Ugh… sorry Jaune, but I think we'll have to cut the visit short," she says while clutching her side.

"Uh, sure. It's okay. I'll see you tomorrow, then," he begins before shooting up from his seat. "No wait! I almost forgot. Olivia made pound-cake just to give you guys. Let me at least get you a piece!"

After Jaune goes to the kitchen and retrieves the piece of cake wrapped in tinfoil, we give our goodbyes and make our way back home. Throughout all the ride on the bus, Yang is resting her head on the front seat while I rub her back.

 **Saturday, June 3rd/ Evening**

After getting back home, Yang takes another pill with a glass of orange juice and goes back to her room. Without anything better to do, I send an invite to Jaune so that he can join the groupchat. Then, after eating dinner with dad, I head upstairs early to browse the web and do some light reading. After an hour or so, I get changed for bed and hop onto the mattress after booping my Mom's portrait.

"Goodnight Mommy."

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 2.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): ( **REPAIRED!** ) Rank 4.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 2.  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 1.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 2.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 2.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 5.


	58. Su, 6-5

**Su, 6/4**

 **Sunday, June 4th/ Morning**

First thing I notice when I go downstairs in the morning is Yang shoveling a forkful of eggs and bacon into her mouth. "Fi phis!" she mumbles through her food before swallowing. "Good morning!"

"Good morning… I take it you're feeling better?"

"Yep! I have my intestines under control again. But, I have to fill up my stomach, so I made a lot of breakfast," she waves her hand over the table filled to the brim with plates of delicious goods. "Have some!"

"Don't mind if I do," I answer before digging in with gusto. "So, Dad left early today?"

"Yeah. He got a call from one of his study groups, so he took off after his coffee. He should be out until 9 at least."

"Well, that should make things easy."

We finish breakfast and clean up before getting ready and heading out towards the headquarters.

 **Sunday, June 4th/ Daytime**

As we're arriving to the costume store, Jaune rushes in to meet with us. "Hey guys! Guess I arrived just in time, huh?"

"Were you running all the way here?"

He laughs. "No… just from the juice shop."

"It's okay, tiger. We're still early anyways," Yang explains before opening the door. All three of us walk in and head to the basement. Once we enter the armory, I notice Ren and Toysmith sitting by a workbench and tinkering with a bunch of components while speaking in hushed tones. Ren turns to us and makes a gesture to let us know he'll be with us in a moment, so we all just sit around in the room to wait until he's ready. Yang checks on her phone while Jaune stares at the number of toy weapons along the walls.

After a minute or so, Ren walks up to us and plops down on a couch. "Everything okay?" I ask.

"Not exactly. The radar broke really bad the last time it short-circuited," he explains while crossing his arms. "Toysmith is trying to fix it, but it'll take some time to do that _and_ to reinforce the circuitry," he lets out a heavy sigh. "The issue is to find quality materials to do that. In all honesty, I'm not holding much hope on using the radar for long."

"Excuse me," Jaune raises his hand. "I know I'm the new guy, but why is this radar important? I mean, I'm not sure how it helps in any way."

"Being able to give support in the background offers a huge advantage during a fight. I can analyze the information received in the console and convey it to them through the comms. I didn't have the same kind of support back when I was fighting Shadows, and so far it has proven to be an improvement.

"Before I continue though, has anyone filled you in on the situation?"

"Well, not exactly. I don't even understand anything of what happened in that place the other day, so yeah, that'd be a good place to start."

Ren nods once before leaning back on his seat without uncrossing his arms. "Essentially, there is this alternate dimension we call Reflection that is connected to this city somehow. Inside there, the negative emotions of people give birth to these monsters called Shadows, which are pure raw emotions given form, making them extremely dangerous."

"One of them finds a person, and that person will be dead," Yang interjects. "Which is part of what you almost saw happen the day we came to help you."

Jaune swallows with a loud gulp. "Ye-yeah. No need to remind me."

"The problem is, though," I begin, "that Shadows haven't done damage only in the Reflection. Do you remember the Acts of Violence going on a few months ago?" At his nod, I continue, "Those were also caused by Shadows. They could somehow cross into the real world and take control of people so that they could kill anyone they found. That's what's been happening then."

"We learned all of this back in April. Ruby and I discovered the Reflection by accident and Ren helped us out, but not before a Shadow attacked us… I almost died that day."

"But then I awoke to my Persona, and used its powers to kill that Shadow. Then, a month ago or so, we discovered that the owner of that bookstore got pulled into the Reflection and killed!" I pause for a second and look at Yang, and to my surprise, she picked up from where I left.

"That day, we were also attacked by a Fear Shadow. One born from _my_ fears. That's when I awoke to my powers too. I've been helping Ruby fight the Shadows since then!" She dons a toothy grin. "We've been pretty badass out there, if I do say so myself."

"I… I see. And what does Ren have to do with any of this then?"

"He's been involved in this way before us," I explain. "He's the one who explained to the two of us what's been going on. Right Ren?" I turn to him, waiting for his reply.

Silence. "… Ren?"

" **zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…** "

"Did- did he just fall asleep?!" Yang asks astonished. Effectively, Ren is now sleeping where he sits. A loud sigh break us out of our shock and we all turn to Toysmith, who takes something out of a drawer and walks up to Ren with it while muttering things like "I knew it" and "I told him so."

Once he's close, I note that the object he has is a plastic cup of maple syrup, which he slightly breaks open and waves around once or twice under Ren's nose. In an instant, Ren wakes up with a light start and blinks once or twice. "Huh? Wha- what happened?"

Toysmith just shakes his head. "I told him to not pull an all-nighter tinkering with that junk," he then just walks back to the workbench to do whatever he was doing a moment ago.

We all just sit in silence until Yang speaks up. "So! What did you want to talk about with us, Ren?"

Ren on his part, shakes the sleep out of his head and sits up once again. "For starters, I think it is obvious that our latest hypothesis has been holding up until now: Shadows are no longer possessing people in our world to commit the Acts of Violence. Instead, they're pulling people _into_ the reflection in order to kill them in there."

"That's right. First was Tukson back on April 23rd… That time we could not save him in time," I explain. "After that, we didn't notice any incident until we learned that you were abducted," I say turning to Jaune. "Shadows have not tried to possess people again."

"Which means, that they'll probably abduct a person again next time," Ren states. "What is more, like I said the other day, I did some digging and I found something you should all know."

Ren then produces, from the right of his seat, a folder, which he opens on the coffee table. "I went back to the library… the real world one, and looked up the newspaper where the news about the car accident Leon was involved with was published." He picks a photocopy and passes it around. It is the same news report we found in the Reflection. "Seven years ago, Tukson Leon was involved in a car accident where he unintentionally killed a young girl. The accident is dated to have happened on April 26th, the same date Leon died this year."

We all stay silent, trying to process this information. Then he turns to address Jaune. "I'm sorry, but today marks the tenth year since your sister's disappearance, correct?"

Jaune lets out a heavy sigh. "Yeah. That's no secret, I suppose."

"Again, this is just a theory, but I think that if we had not saved Arc by today, we would've been too late."

Another silence, this one accompanied with a heavy atmosphere. "So wait," I begin. "You mean that we might know when people pulled into the Reflection will inevitably die?"

"Exactly. The two victims that were abducted thus far were pulled in near the anniversary of a date that was significant to them. So not only will we be able to better coordinate any rescue expedition we might have to take care of, but we could possibly anticipate who could be abducted next time."

"Heck yeah! Now we can prevent people from even ending up in that place!" Yang cheers excitedly.

"It is a possibility we should probably take advantage of. Either way, we have to be ready for anything. That means keep on training," Ren then looks at Jaune once again. "We now have a new member on our team. If he proves to be helpful on the field, I might finally start being more useful to all of you."

"You've been a lot of help so far, though," I point out.

"I appreciate the thought," he ruefully smiles. "In any case, we should make plans for all of you to come train some more with your Personas."

"Fridays have worked fine so far, so I say we stick to that," Yang suggests.

"I can't object to that," Jaune agrees.

"So we're all set then," I finally state. "We'll meet again on Friday and go to train."

"I'm looking to have the radar fixed by then, so it works perfectly," he says before cracking a small yawn and shaking his hair. "I should actually head home now."

With that, he stands up and we all follow suit, before calling goodbyes to Toysmith and walking upstair. We see Ren off before heading back to the town proper. "Hmm… it is still early," Yang ponders out loud while checking her phone. "Wanna grab a snack before heading back?"

"I can't. Dad wants _everybody_ home for dinner tonight to recall Sienna… so I'd like to be home early," Jaune explains. "I'll see you at school… ugh, I'm not excited for tomorrow at all."

Oh right! The midterms results are posted tomorrow at the school board!

"Seeya!" I wave to him as he heads off.

"Take care!"

Yang and I then head to the cold fruit stand and pick a watermelon popsicle each and eat it at a leisurely pace. Once we're done with our snack, we both head to the bus stop.

 **Sunday, June 4th/ Evening**

Without anything better to do, Yang sets up a party game on the TV to kill some time before Dad gets home. When he gets back, he's carrying bags of eastern food with him, which we help set up in the dining table before digging in.

"So, what did you girls do today?"

"Nothing much. We met with some friends and hung out," I tell him.

"Yeah, pretty chill Sunday afternoon."

"Heh, that sounds nice. I had to explain this principle to a dense group of kids like twenty times! I'm thinking of recording my lessons for those cases."

"Hey, if every teacher in the world did that, school would be a lot easier!"

"HAH! You'd wish it was that easy!" he replies back.

After finishing dinner and cleaning up. We all call it a night and head to each of our rooms. After changing to my pajamas, I simply crawl to bed and fall asleep after a few minutes.

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 3 ( **Rank Up!** )  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 4.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 2.  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 1.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 2.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 2.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 5.

* * *

Okay people, listen: I'm retconning Toysmith's identity. He's now the guy who screamed "eeeeyup!" in "The Badge and the Burden." This change doesn't affect much in the story itself, so you don't have to read it again.


	59. Mo, 6-5

**Mo, 6/5**

 **Monday, June 5th/ Morning**

School is a storm of activity this morning, with the announcement of midterms results looming nearer, everybody is charged with anticipation. In my classroom, everybody - myself included - is sitting anxiously during the first periods of class. Even Weiss is looking concerned. For his part, Jaune is holding rather well… at least, as well as everyone else.

I try my best to focus my attention on the lessons.

 **Monday, June 5th/ Lunchtime**

"They posted the results!" I hear a girl saying as I'm walking down the hallway along Jaune, Velvet and Nora, so all four of us rush over to where people is gathered. "Aw man! I got a terrible score!"

"It's okay, you can make up for next time," a guy tells the girl as the two of them start walking away. People started walking away in groups or on their own after reading their scores until I am able to walk up to the dashboard and look for my name. I got a good score, but I wasn't the best in our class. Doing a quick glance at every other score, I notice that basically no one flunked the exams.

"I-I can't believe it!" Jaune drones. "I passed! Heh, wow, I was really nervous."

"Really, because I didn't notice," I jokingly elbow him in the arm.

"Yeah yeah, knock it off."

"Whoo! Top of the class!" Nora happily announces after checking the notes for her class. "This calls for a celebration!"

"Congrats Nora! Although, I don't think you should be treating us all this often," Velvet opines.

"I know, I meant back home," she explains before licking her lips. "I'm thinking of going for steak tonight. Ooh, ooh! Scratch that! Seafood!"

All three of us just stare in silence.

Still, a celebration does sound like a nice idea… Maybe when I get a higher score I could suggest it.

We all head to the cafeteria for lunch before third period.

 **Monday, June 5th/ After School**

After classes have ended, I don't feel like doing anything in particular, so I just go with Velv, Jaune and Yang to the food court and hang around, drinking sodas and people-watching. We make small talk during the afternoon before deciding it is time to head home.

 **Monday, June 5th/ Evening**

After returning home, Yang sits down with Dad and watch sports together while I read a book on the couch. Dad changes to the news one hour before dinner while Yang gets up and heads to the kitchen to start on dinner. I look up from my book to listen to the news.

"... So we can expect the same warm weather for the rest of the month. In other news, people in Vale are relieved that the entirety of the past month went by without any incidents. Ever since April, everybody's been on extreme alert given the two violent deaths that took place just weeks between each other. Although there are several differences between the latest case and the rest of the deaths in the last months, the death of Tukson Leon shocked the population to the point of holding curfews and closing business early.

"However, this respite has given way for everyone to finally let out their breaths. Does this mean an end of the Acts of Violence that have plagued the city or currently in the eye of the storm? Only time will tell."

"Hmm. Seems things have finally calmed down," Dad ponders aloud as the news address another topic. "Still, it'd be good to be careful while out in the town, got it?" He remarks with a raised eyebrow.

"Got it!" I nod purposefully.

"Atta girl!" He stands up and stretches. "Come on, let's go help your sister."

We help Yang set up the table before digging in. We are having a chicken salad with garlic bread for dinner, and it all tastes amazing. After finishing and cleaning up, I head up to change clothes and call it a night. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.


	60. Tu, 6-6

**Tu, 6/6**

 **Tuesday, June 6th/ Lunch**

Yang sits with Nora, Velvet, Jaune and I during lunch time today while Weiss sits a few spots away on the same table. "'Sup guys? Did well on your exams?"

"Yes. Everyone passed, as a matter of fact," Jaune says. "Turns out I was freaking out over nothing."

"Yet I still did better than you!" Nora quips teasingly.

"He-hey! We're in different classrooms! It's not fair to compare the two scores!"

"I take lessons from _Peach_ , and he made the exams, and I owned it!" Nora states, gradually raising her voice.

"Yeah, sorry to say it, but she's got you beat on that category," Yang concurs, taking a bite of her food.

"Well, I don't care about that. I still got a good score and I'm no longer having a crisis!"

"That's a nice feeling, ain't it?" Velvet offers meekly before sighing. "We'll have finals in three months, though."

"That's still a long time ahead, so don't need to worry now," I point out as I turn to address Jaune. "Speaking of which, you ready to continue on that assignment?"

"Yeah, sure… just, not today. Is tomorrow fine?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Great! What about the rest of you? Wanna hang out later today?"

"Sounds good to me!" Nora agrees.

Velvet turns to her right to where Weiss is sitting. "What about you, Weiss? Wanna join us?"

"Sorry, I can't," she curtly replies, not removing her eyes from the book she's been reading. She sounds upset for some reason.

"Is something the matter?" Jaune asks.

Weiss simply shuts her eyes and lets out a heavy sigh. "It isn't important. I simply can't right now… maybe another time." She picks up her stuff and walks out of the cafeteria.

"Seriously, I don't get that girl." Yang mutters under her breath. I simply frown at this.

Lunch time is almost over, so I finish my food and head over to class.

 **Tuesday, June 6th/ After School**

During track practice, the football team is also training on their field, practicing a pass or maneuver of some kind. I'm spacing out while waiting for us girls to start our run when a huge commotion shakes me out of my trance, so I look over to where everyone's gazes are directed at. A guy in football gear is laying on the grass, completely still. Eventually, they managed to get him up and take him to the nurse's office. Despite all of that going down, the rest of practice goes on without a hitch.

After finishing with today's training, Coach called everyone's attention. "Listen everybody, I have an announcement to make!" Everybody looks up to Coach or simply mind whatever they're doing while still listening. "My *ahem* sources tell me our competition is focusing all of their training on their _star runner_. Now, while it is true that this is a solo sport, relying on just one person to earn them victory is just a bad strategy. If the enemy wants to train harder, then we'll train _smarter_. Starting next session, everybody will be working to reach their own peak and surpassing it! Is that clear?"

Coach's question is met by a collective groan, yet despite this he remains as jovial and flippant as a second ago. "Excellent! Be early for next training. You're dismissed!"

There are a few complaints here and there as everybody starts leaving or heading for the showers. The girls in the changing room devolves into generic whining, so I do my best to tune them out before heading off and taking the next bus.

 **Tuesday, June 6th/ Evening**

After getting home and taking a hot shower, I head down to the kitchen and help make today's dinner and then watch some TV with Yang and Dad while waiting for the food to be ready. After eating, I head upstairs to pack my laptop in its bag for tomorrow and head for bed early after giving my goodnights to everybody.


	61. We, 6-7

**We, 6/7**

 **Wednesday, June 7th/ After School.**

Jaune and I head over together to the library to work on the report. After getting past a very apprehensive librarian, we get to a reading table and start working. Immediately after we start, Jaune takes charge of redacting the thing while we both discuss the ideas and start working up a rhythm. In a matter of minutes, we write down almost the entire report!

"Well, I think this should be good for today!" I observe. "All that's missing are the conclusion and spell-checking everything… I think we can do that on a shared e-doc. What do you think?"

Jaune pops his neck to both sides before chipperly answering. "That would be good, yes. Man, this went by in a blink, huh?"

"Yeah, we made it this fast thanks to you though. Good job!" I emphasize with a double thumbs up.

"Yeah, I guess I went a little overboard… I can't help it though, I'm just really excited over those results!" He exclaims while struggling to keep his voice down. "I feel like I could do anything after that."

"That's great, Jaune. You should feel proud."

He sheepishly scratches his head before looking over at the report on my computer. "Yeah, I kinda am but… I'm still not sure, y'know?"

"Not sure of what?" I ask cautiously.

"Well, this is gonna sound super lame but, I kinda wanna do more than just get good grades and stuff, you know? I mean, everyone in my family does get good grades, but they also do a lot more than just that! Music, sports, game design… And after everything that happened, I feel more confident now."

"Well, it was all you, Jaune."

"Maybe, but I also had a lot of help too. Heh… I might still need some help finding out what I could do."

"Sure, it'll be no problem."

"Thanks."

After uploading the report onto the e-doc and picking everything up, we go out for a drink before going each for our bus stop. When I get to the stop, I find Qrow sitting in the bench with blotches of paint all over his shirt and face. He looks up and smiles. "Well, hey there."

"Hi, how have you been?"

"Well, business has been going well," he lifts a hand as I sit on the bench next to him. "No more hammers, so that's an improvement."

"I'd imagine," I giggle. "Guess things are going good for everybody now."

"Oh? Is it school related?" He asks with curiosity.

"Yeah, actually. Everybody in my class passed midterms."

"Heeey, that's great news. Were the exams hard, though?"

"A lot! And we had them for five days straight!"

Qrow blinks twice and shakes his head. "Well, that's certainly worse than when I was in school," he lets out a sigh. "Man, I reeeeally don't miss those times."

"Were you that bad?"

"No… it's just that exams are stupid. They should grade how much kids know, not how fast they can recall it!" He shakes his head. "Seriously, if it weren't for my friends goofing off every time, I'd be a different man today… them and the drink."

I give him a look, which he simply ignores. "So, tell me, do you also have friends that look after you? Or do you look after them?"

"I think a little bit of both. I mean, I really should've looked after one of my friends recently… but things turned out for the best now. So everything's good."

"That's good to hear," he trails off and looks over at the road, where a bus is doubling a corner. I stand up to get in but look back when I notice Qrow isn't getting up. "Not my line today, have another job somewhere else. Seeya 'round, kiddo."

"Okay. Take care!" He smirks and chuckles ruefully as I enter the bus and it drives off.

 **Wednesday, June 7th/ Evening.**

Nobody feels like making dinner today, so we all end up ordering takeout and playing Uno while waiting for the food to arrive. We continue playing even during dinner until we are all too mad with each other to continue further.

Tomorrow I have practice from hell, so I head to bed earlier than usual. I boop my Mom's photo and give her her goodnights before falling asleep.

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 3.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 5 ( **Rank Up!** )  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 2.  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 2 ( **Rank Up!** )  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 2.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 2.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 5.


	62. Th, 6-8

**Th, 6/8**

 **Thursday, June 8th/ After School.**

I head directly to the track field after getting changed and start stretching a little bit while the guys are running their drills. Coach is intently keeping an eye on them while giving words of "encouragement" through a megaphone. Out on the track, I spot Sun trailing behind the mass of other boys, the gap stretching the more they run. I keep a mental note of this as it becomes our turn to train.

I feel surprisingly okay after we're done, though I'll probably be sore tomorrow morning. After getting changed, I find Sun leaning on the wall next to the school gate looking at his phone. "'Sup Sun?" I call, making him yelp in surprise.

"Oh, hi Rubes. Nothing much, just got ditched… So I'm pretty bummed right now."

"Hmm, I'd imagine. Well, I'm tired from practice, but you wanna grab some ice cream? My treat."

He smiles and shrugs. "Sure, why not?"

We go over to the ice cream shop and order one cup of ice cream each. We sit in one of the benches in comfortable silence, letting the cool afternoon wind to wash over us. Suddenly, Sun breaks the silence. "You probably noticed that I wasn't doing too good today, huh?"

I decide to not beat around the bush. "Yeah, I was wondering if something else had happened."

"Heh, luckily nothing has," he takes a bite of his ice cream. "It's just that I got a little nervous today. Coach not wanting to pick a forerunner for the competition yet… I don't think I like that idea, y'know?"

"You wanted to get picked?"

"Ha ha, that'd be awesome all in its own, if I'm honest! No, the problem is that, we're competing between each other now. Coach's intentions are good, but the truth is that nobody wants to be just as good as everyone else. Guys are very competitive naturally, and can be pretty dumb when it comes to being the best. Now that we're on this new training regime, we're just running after a prize…" he trails off while slouching forward.

I look down at my half finished cup. "It isn't fun anymore, huh?"

"No, it isn't," Sun takes a deep breath before continuing. "That's why I was holding back today. If I'm competing, I want it to be for the team, not for me. If I try to show off that I'm better than everybody, I'd be like the old me, the kid who stole from stores…"

I frown a bit. "But if you stop trying, then you won't prove to anybody that you've actually improved yourself."

"I… well..." he pauses for a second before putting both hands on his head. "Dammit, when you put it like that, yeah, I am being a big moron."

"Well, not that big, to be fair," I say jokingly. He smirks back.

"You're one to talk, smurf. Ha-ha-ow!" He flinches after I punch him in the arm before continue laughing.

"Anyways, you are right. I still need to prove that I'm better than how I used to be. That's the only thing that matters, so I will still give it my all in practice!" He lets out a sigh. "You know? I usually don't to talk about this matter with anyone else. I think it's because you don't judge people that I feel comfortable saying this. Thanks."

"Hey, it's not a problem." I say while scratching my cheek.

"Yeah… Shit! My ice cream melted!" Sun exclaims as he brings his cup to his face. "Oh man…"

Mine melted too, so both of us end up having to chug our cups to finish the ice cream. He heads off after that, so I decide to return home.

 **Thursday, June 8th/ Evening.**

My legs are starting to go numb, so I take some medicine for the soreness and a few strawberries from the refrigerator. While I'm sitting in a sofa, I get a message from the group.

 _JAUNE: Hey! We're still going to that place tomorrow, right?_

 _REN: Yes, that's still planned._

 _REN: Is there a problem?_

 _YANG: We have nothing holding us from it, so it should all be good._

 _JAUNE: Cool, I just wanted to check. See you all tomorrow._

 _RUBY: Goodnight everyone._

I put my phone away and try to relax my legs while watching cartoons on TV. I head upstairs after dinner to soak up a bit in the tub before heading for bed.

"Goodnight mommy. Goodnight guys."

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 3.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 5.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 2.  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 2.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 2.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 2.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 6 ( **Rank Up!** )


	63. Fr, 6-9

**Fr, 6/9**

 **Friday, June 9th/ After School.**

After the last bell rings, Jaune and I walk all the way to the school gate and wait for Yang to get out too. Once all three of us are together, we all head over to HQ, making small talk along the way. Once inside the store, we walk to the basement. Once there, we all walk up to Ren, who is busy on the computer. Yang is the first to speak. "Hey Ren, what'cha doin'?"

"I'm running a simulation, to see if I can prevent the radar from overloading again."

"How long have you been doing this?" Jaune asks.

Ren stretches an arm to grab a big mug of coffee and takes a sip from it. "Last night," we all share an uneasy look after hearing that. "Toysmith couldn't get the parts we needed, so I had to pull an all-nighter to get the device going," Ren lets out a sigh. "It works fine so far, but I don't know if it'll be able to handle another overload."

"Why not add an emergency outlet, so that all the spare energy goes outside of the machine?" Jaune suggests, earning a look from Yang. "What?"

"That'd work. Though I'd need several other parts that just aren't available at the moment."

"Oh, well…" Jaune coughs on his fist to clear the tension. "So anyways, when do we get beamed down?"

"Well, we first need to choose where in the Reflection we want to go, right?" Yang comments.

Ren runs a hand through his hair. "I was thinking of going again to either the Plaza or the Mall. We can also head to the library, seeing how it hasn't actually disappeared," he explains before turning to Jaune. "But first, you need a weapon."

"Oh, no problem. I already saw what I am taking." Jaune states before walking to one of the displays and taking a sword with a blue handle and a thick, grey crossguard. "I feel like this suits me," he explains before hauling it over his shoulder. "What do you think?"

"I think you're right." I simply say while picking up my weapon.

"Do you know how to use it?" Yang wonders aloud, prompting me to elbow her on the side. "What?!"

"Well, it is just a sword. There's nothing difficult about swish-swish-stab."

"Well, seems like everybody's ready," he says while turning on the computer again. "I'll open the Doorway then, we'll be heading to the Plaza." Ren explains as he presses the enter key and the mirror in the room ripples with a low hum. He then picks the radar from the table and joins us in front of the Doorway. One by one, we break through its surface.

 **Friday, June 9th/** **Reflection** **.**

We step out of the changing room and onto the streets before walking in direction to the plaza. Jaune is taking a while to correct himself on the streets' inverted layout but manages to follow where we need to go. When we finally arrive to the plaza, Ren heads over to one of the tables on the edge and sets up the radar, which takes a few seconds to turn on. After doing a once over, he gives us a thumbs up, so we all walk to the lowest level of the plaza.

The moment we all walk the last step, a Shadow blob breaks apart and turns into four, floating snakes, all of them hissing at us. I immediately switch to Cait Sith and summon him, he prepares his sword and attacks, but the snake slides out of the way.

Jaune is the next to attack, grabbing his sword with both hands and swinging it at the nearest snake, cutting a deep gash along its body but without bringing it down. After that, two of the snakes still in the air release a black miasma over Yang and I while the second one slithers around her and bites Yang in the calf.

Yang yelps, but doesn't seem to be in pain more than she looks annoyed, grabbing the snake by the neck and landing two punches on its face while holding it under her arm. She releases the unconscious Shadow and kicks it back to its comrades before she flinches, holding her leg. "Yang, what ha-?! YANG!" Her leg turned green!

 _/Rose, remain calm,/_ comes Ren from the com. _/She'll be fine, though you can't do much until the effect passes./_

I glare at the Shadow. " _Persona!_ " The swashbuckler feline jumps into the frame and viciously attack another snake with a flurry of stabs from his blade, throwing it down on the floor. It switches to another snake and does the same then to the next, only this time his blade has a purple glow, downing the snake and poisoning it.

"Great! Now we can finish them!" Jaune calls, getting ready to rush them. But I hold a hand to stop him.

"Wait, it won't be enough to finish them with just the two of us," I explain as I switch my attention to Yang and her leg. Cait Sith jumps over to her before going on all fours, nuzzling her wounded limb with a purr. In that instant, her leg recovered its natural color to everyone's surprise.

Yang stands up and tests her leg and flashes a smile to Cait. "Thank you, kitty!"

Cait Sith simply looks away with a haughty meow before disappearing into blue light where he sits. "That is cool," Jaune says before turning to the snakes. "But we still have a Mountain Jones situation here."

One by one the snakes rise up again, snarling menacingly. "I think I know what to do now, though." Jaune says as he plants his sword on the floor and raises his glowing left arm, pointing a finger to the sky. " _SETANTA!_ "

The armored Persona comes sliding into the battlefield, spear at the forefront as he rams into two of the snakes, impaling them on the shaft of the spear before they explode into black smoke.

Yang steps up, clanking her fists together. " _SATI!_ " Her Persona rushes to the snakes and delivers a series of punches, kicks and elbows that break apart the remaining Shadows. Soon after, we're ambushed by a giant scarab accompanied by even more snakes.

"I got this now!" Jaune claims as he approaches the Shadows. " _PERSONA!_ " Setanta dives in and throws his spear at the beetle before any of us could warn him. A barrier erects itself between the Shadow and the spear, bouncing off of it right back at the Persona, sending both him and Jaune reeling. "Okay, I didn't see that coming."

"We should've told you, not all attacks work on all Shadows." Yang explains as we both help him get up.

"Best we can do now is to keep our distance from that one." I say as I switch Personas. " _HIGH PIXIE!_ " The fairy flies over the Shadows, sending a bolt of lightning at each enemy before retreating. Yang follows up with a volley of fireballs from Sati, hitting all the snakes - two of which disappear in a cloud of smoke - and the beetle. After that, the beetle scrambles at an impressive speed and hits me with its bulk, sending me to the floor. It then turns to Jaune, the eyes on its mask glowing a deep blue, which makes several particles to spin rapidly around him before collapsing on him, causing him to scream in pain and fall on the ground.

When it tries to attack Yang however, she manages to dodge it before Jaune recovers. I watch him summon Setanta, who then casts a lightning bolt that falls on each of the remaining Shadows, killing all the snakes and causing the bug to twitch uncontrollably. "Okay, I'll admit that I thought this would be easier," he realizes as I get on my feet.

 _/Well, that's why you're all training./_

I straighten up before I switch my Persona " _FENRIR!_ " A blast of wind surrounds the scarab as Fenrir lets out a primal howl, which quickly makes little work of the Shadow. I wipe sweat off my forehead as everybody gathers themselves. "You guys can still go?"

After all three of us agree, we continue fighting wave after wave of Shadows. Two of my Personas learn a new skill each, while Yang and Jaune also learn more powerful attacks for their Personas.

After around two hours, everybody decides to call it a day and run out of the plaza to meet with Ren, and all four of us make our walk back to the exit. "All of you made a lot progress today. Not to mention that you defeated a great number of Shadows too," Ren points out before shrugging his shoulders. "Who knows? Perhaps it'll be possible to reach plan A."

"Sorry, what is this 'Plan A'?" Jaune asks. I think I have a pretty good idea of what that is so I speak up.

"He means to hunt down as many Shadows as possible, right?"

"Yeah. If we can't find a permanent stop for the Reflection, we can at least… well, control the population…"

"Wow, that sounds really boring," Yang drawls from behind the group, both hands behind her head. "I think I like the saving-people-plan better."

"We'll see what happens. For now, we should return home," Ren says while looking at his wristwatch. "Let's hurry it up."

After we cross back into the real world, Ren starts shutting everything down while we make our way out. Tired and with nothing in mind to do right now, we all head back to our homes.

 **Friday, June 9th/ Evening.**

Dad is on the phone when we get home, so we just sit on the living room in silence while he finishes. "Uh-huh… uh-huh… Very well then. Thanks for calling," he hangs up the speaker before muttering something to himself. I think I heard him say "lock-myte," but I am not sure.

"Hey pops, everything okay?"

"Yeah sunshine… I'm just doing this adulting thing, y'know? You girls don't worry about it."

I frown a little at this. I probably shouldn't pry, but I can't help but worry.

We all have dinner early before calling it a night. I read a little on my bed before stopping and trying to sleep.

* * *

Arcana Analysis:

 **[Data-Update]** :  
 **Pyro-Jack (Magician)** :  
Resists: Pierce  
Absorbs: Fire  
Weakness: Ice  
Agi, Sukunda, Rakukaja, Maragi

 **High Pixie (Priestess)** :  
Blocks: Electricity  
Weakness: Physical, Ice, Nuclear  
Zio, Mazio, Sukukaja, Patra, Psy

 **Setanta (Magician)** :  
Resists: Ice  
Blocks: Electricity  
Weakness: Fire, Nuclear  
Zionga, Media, Skewer, Rakukaja, Mazionga

 **Sati (Strength)** :  
Resists: Physical  
Blocks: Ice  
Weakness: Electricity  
Agilao, Maragi, Sonic Punch, Tarukaja, Swift Strike, Gigantic Fist


	64. Sa, 6-10

**Sa, 6/10**

 **Saturday, June 10th/ Morning.**

I head downstairs after waking up and getting changed, I find Yang is making grilled cheese in the kitchen, though I don't find any sign of Dad anywhere. "Hey, did Dad leave earlier or something?"

"Nope," Yang nonchalantly says. "He's just in his studio. I already brought him breakfast."

"Is something wrong?" I ask with concern.

"No… he's just trying to figure something out. It's nothing to worry about."

I glance over to the general direction of his room, but I decide not to press the matter further and eat my breakfast.

 **Saturday, June 10th/ Daytime.**

Throughout the day, I do several things: Play Smash with Yang, read, work on the report - Jaune and I were able to expand on some ideas and added some other concepts too - and watch some cheesy sitcom on tv. By the time lunchtime arrives though, Dad is still inside his studio.

Yang and I work on the food together, but I stop Yang before she takes Dad's portion to him. "Hey, can I bring him his food?"

"Sure, no problem!" She smiles as she hands me the plate. "The studio is right past his room."

"Thanks," I say as I take the plate and fill it with a serving of curry before heading over to the hallway leading to his area of the house.

Normally, when you think of a studio in one modest house, you'd imagine an impeccable room with a wall lined with shelves filled with books, a modest desk with a green-screened reading lamp on one corner and dark green carpet covering the floor.

This room _almost_ emulates that.

There's only one shelf with books adorning one corner of the room, a ficus plant on the other, which explains the marks of moisture spotting the carpet and the only lamp in the room is the one on the ceiling fan. The desk is the only object that does look like what it should look like, despite being littered with papers and the ragged man sitting calmly behind it. Dad looks up with black circles in his eyes, smiles, and waves at me. "Hi sweetie! Having a good day?"

I should be asking the same. "Yeah, it's been good. What about you?" I ask as I bring him his plate, trying not to stare at the mess.

"Eh, everything's good. I'll be done in just a minute."

"That's great… so, what have you been working on?"

"It's nothing important," He dismisses while stretching up, revealing another thing I was definitely not expecting.

"Dad… your pants are missing."

"What?" He immediately looks at his lap and his dragon-printed boxers. "Oh shoot!" He scrambles to grab a folder and spread it over his lap. "I… I can explain it."

I raise an eyebrow and he sighs. "Okay, I was revising the house's finances, and that is alway a pain. One of those pains that just throws you out of it, okay? But it is under control now."

I look over at the array of papers on the desk. "We aren't indebted, are we?"

Dad immediately jumps. "No no no no no! God no. We just…" he trails off, becoming more rattled, before taking a deep breath. "I just need to tighten our expenses a little bit, ok? Literally a little, not much. Trust me, I would be a _lot_ less collected if we had a serious problem. I mean, I thought we had earlier but…"

"You… had a freak out?" I offer innocently.

"No!… yes," he shakes his head and drops the folder. "Sorry, I didn't want you to worry. We're just starting to have this problem, after all…"

I look straight at him, and it doesn't take long for me to realize what can be implied from this situation. "Oh…"

"Yeah, that's what I wanted to avoid. I feel terrible just having thought of it."

"Well… it is no problem! I can look for a part-time job if we need to."

That gets him to laugh. "Well, aren't you a little entrepreneur?" He jokes while shaking his hair. "Man, you reminded me of your mom just now. Always saying whatever it came to her mind just to make someone feel better." He lets out a weary sigh before looking at me again. "I won't tell you what you should and shouldn't, okay? Just know that we can get by, so there's no need to worry for now, okay?"

I smile a little. "Sure."

"Great! Now, please leave so that your old man can put his pants on."

I waste no second to leave the room, throwing an "enjoy your food" as I walk through the door.

 **Saturday, June 10th/ Evening.**

By the time night falls, Dad has left the studio and cleaned himself. The evening goes by in a blink, and we're all soon eating dinner and heading to bed.

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 3.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 5.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 2.  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 2.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 4.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 3 ( **Rank Up!** )  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 2.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 6.


	65. Su, 6-11

**Su, 6/11**

 **Sunday, June 11th/ Daytime.**

Everybody is up to their own thing during the morning, so I decide to head to town on my own and do some window-shopping for a change. I really don't plan on buying anything, so I end up wandering around town, looking for something to do. I end up finding Velvet leaving a store with Coco, so I go and join them for the afternoon.

I learn that Coco is into fashion and that her family owns the Adel´s store. As I hang out with the two of them, I can see that she's a really cool person; she shows us to a really nice cafe and treats us to a capuccino. I also notice that Velvet is a lot less bashful than usual.

When it gets late, we all say goodbye and head our separate ways.

 **Sunday, June 11th/ Evening.**

Back home, Dad and Yang have settled for sandwiches for dinner, so they're just lounging in the living room watching tv. I join them just when a news report interrupts the movie they're watching.

"Breaking news in the Town of Vale. CEO of SC Technologies, Jacques Schnee, has once again given a significant contribution to the city's Security Services, by donating over 10 motorcycles to the VCPD." The anchorwoman announces. The name of the company's president draws my attention.

"President Schnee has been helping the city prosper with the latest advancements from his multi-branched company for over ten years. This support has been doubled ever since the town started to suffer these sudden attacks of violence. Schnee expects that with this latest investment, the police force will be able to better look after the people's safety."

"Well, maybe he could've invested in better cops too," Dad mutters while scratching his arm.

The news broadcast ends at the same time the movie returns. "Hey, that's something that doesn't happen often!" Yang jokes as she sits up.

We go eat the sandwiches after the movie ends. Yang complains that Dad puts too much mayo in his bread while he complains back that we're not buying white bread anymore, all the while I sit quietly and enjoy their banter.

After eating and cleaning up, we all head off for the night. I change clothes and crawl into bed, giving my goodnights to Mom and the guys.

 **Sunday, June 11th/ Velvet Room.**

This place…

"Good evening," I'm sitting inside the train wagon that serves as the Velvet Room, with Igor sitting across from me, his eyes fixed on me while Victor stands listlessly next to him. "Apologies for summoning you so suddenly, but I felt the need to address an important matter with you.

"It appears that you've forged nine different bonds since your journey began a while ago, and you've even repaired a broken union just recently. But tell me, have you been nurturing all these links equally?" He inquires. I think about it, I can't help but shake my head from side to side. Igor simply chuckles. "Understandable. Though at first some of these relationships could appear detrimental, we'd like to encourage you to not ignore them at any rate."

"The strength of your bonds with other people will reflected in the strength of your Personas," Victor interjects. "Strengthening your Social Links with others will undoubtedly grant you greater powers. It'd do you good to not forsake this advice."

"I believe that should be everything for now," Igor states with a handwave. "We'll continue to provide our services when you need to. Have a good rest."

The Velvet Room fades into darkness.


	66. Mo, 6-12

**Mo, 6/12**

 **Monday, June 12th/ Morning.**

Everybody in school is in a rush of activity before classes start. A lot of people had seen the news report last night, and are talking about it with everyone else.

"Dude, that donation must've been expensive!"

"Doesn't the CEO's daughter study here?"

"Hey, if I had the money to spend, I don't think I'd spend it on the police."

" _Ten_ motorcycles? That is too many for a town this small! What a waste…"

"Wasn't the AC System also a donation from SCT?"

"It is kinda neat for Schnee to look after public safety, I guess."

All the talk about the SCT drops to the background as I make my way to the classroom. Inside, people are gathered in uneven groups strewn all over the room, with only a few students sitting in their desks. I note Weiss reading a textbook on her desk while Jaune is resting his head on an arm, somehow asleep despite all the noise. I sit on my chair and decide to start talking with Weiss. "Hey, everything good?"

She doesn't respond at first, which worries me at first before she takes a deep breath. "Yes… It's just been a little hectic, but otherwise…" she shrugs her shoulders and returns to her book.

At that moment, Ms. Goodwitch enters the room. "Alright students, quiet down." Everybody does as told as they take their seats. "We'll have an open quiz today. Take one piece of paper and a pen, as well as your science textbooks and…" she trails off, before frowning and letting out an exasperated sigh. "And please, whatever you do, _do not disturb Mr. Arc from his sleep_."

A snort and a yelp was all I needed to hear to know that Jaune was just waking up. People chuckle and whisper all around the room before the teacher shoots a withering glare at the room. "As I was saying, please write the following."

First period drags on as we answer the quiz.

 **Monday, June 12th/ Lunch.**

"Man, I'm such a dumbass," complains Jaune as we take our trays of food to the cafeteria.

"Relax, man. You ain't the first to snooze in class and you won't be the last," Yang comforts him from across the table. She and Nora had joined us for lunch.

"Well, it is still embarrassing, you know?" He replies back, putting his head on one hand. "It sucks."

"It could have been worse, considering it was Goodwitch's class," Weiss comments offhandedly, taking me by surprise. "At least she was graceful about it."

"Yeah, she even made a joke!" I point out, snorting a little. "Your reaction was funnier, though."

"Oh, c'mon!"

"It was!"

"Wait, what joke did she make?" Nora asks.

Velvet then peeps up, holding back a giggle. "She asked everyone to not disturb his sleep while giving out the instructions, without missing a beat!"

Yang and Nora start laughing their heads off, with the latter squeezing out. "No way, did she really?"

"Hey, here's an idea, let's stop laughing about the teacher messing with Jaune," the boy in question suggests dejectedly.

"Come on, Jaune. You can't deny it was kinda funny," I comment before laughing too.

It takes a few seconds, but in the end Jaune also lets out a laugh. "Yeah, it was funny."

We all laugh and talk in a more cheerful mood while everybody eats. Everyone starts heading off to the classroom before bell rings when Yang pulls me aside.

"Hey sis, wanna hang out later today?" She asks excitedly.

I smile. "Sure, it's been a while."

"Awesome, I'll see you later, then." And with that she leaves off to the second floor. I head back to the classroom.

 **Monday, June 12th/ After School.**

I go head to town after classes end while letting Yang know. After a while, she arrives with a coke bottle on each hand. "Hey there! Hope you're thirsty," she says as she hands me a bottle. "So look, I don't have a plan decided for today, so how about you pick where do you want us to go?"

I ponder for a few seconds before finally deciding. "What about shopping?" I suggest before explaining. "All clothes I have is stuff from Patch, which are getting old, to be honest." At her sly grin I add. "I'm speaking entirely from a practical standpoint."

She chuckles. "It's alright, nerd. Let's go buy clothes then."

We head to the fashion street and after skipping all the fancy clothes store, we find a store more oriented toward casual wear than anything. We go in and peruse on the store's wares, picking a few shirts and jeans for me to try them on. Most of the items I pick follow a sorta-punk style, with dark greys and reds, as well as one t-shirt with asymmetrical sleeves and a double layered, long-sleeved white shirt under a red tank with faux-rips in it. "Y'know, those would look cooler if you wore a leather bracelet or something," Yang comments while holding some of the clothes.

"Yeah, probably. Synthetic leather, though." I quickly add.

Next, I try some of Yang's choices. They're interesting, to say the least: a cropped, white t-shirt that exposes my belly button, a number of string-slinged tank tops and other blouses and shirts that all have low necklines. I stare at her embarrassed, and rather incredulous too.

"Aww, you look so adorable!"

"Yeah, like a penguin, with how cold I'll be…" I grumble while pulling at the hem of the shirt, only to pull it back up. "You know most of these are not my…" I cough onto a fist. "Size, right?"

Yang tilts her head to the side. "Yeah I know. But you've been growing too, y'know? I bet you'll be _rocking them_ in no time!" She adds a little shake of her bust to emphasize her words.

I was about to retort to that, until I register what she said. "Re-really?" She nods. "Huh… well, thanks! No kidding!"

She sticks a tongue at me "That's what sisters are for."

After that, I pick two or three sets of clothes to take and go over to the cashier in order to pay for them. "Leave this one to me," Yang says as she hands over her debit card. After inputting all the data though, an error message pops up on the cashier's screen. "Huh?"

"Sorry, your funds are insufficient," the guy behind the cashier drones unenthusiastically.

"What? But that makes no-" Yang freezes right there, her eyes wide as plates. "Oh-uh…"

I look at her and then at the cashier, before taking my own card and giving it while talking to Yang. "Hey, it's okay. I can pay for this. Don't worry about it."

"Uh… sure," She says while still semi-shocked. After paying for the clothes and heading out, we go and sit on a nearby bakery and drink a cup of coffee. Yang starts talking again while I pour my third pack of sugar on my cup. "I'm so sorry about that… I'll pay you when Dad gives us our next allowance."

"Thanks Yang. But seriously, I'm not mad, so you don't need to apologize."

"Still, I totally forgot I bought those maintenance stuff for my bike the other day..." she pauses to sip on her coffee before snarling. "I'm such an idiot!"

"Yang please, don't say that!"

"Sorry, it's just… I wanted to do a nice thing for you, so that you'd see me as someone you could rely on… and it then backfires in the end like that? It's frustrating, y'know?"

"Yeah, kinda. But I still appreciate the help back there. And I do see you like that. I trust you. You are doing more than enough already," I take a sip from my coffee, and let a content sigh at its sweetness.

Yang lets out a sigh of her own, becoming a lot less flustered, before speaking again. "Yeah, right." She gives me a playful punch. "It's not fair… I'm the big sister, and I've been thanking you as much as you have lately."

I smile. "It's my way of thanking you, I guess."

We both laugh as we enjoy our drinks and make small talk. We stop for some snacks for later before heading back home.

 **Monday, June 12th/ After School.**

After arriving home, I head to my room to set my new clothes on my closet and changing out of my uniform before heading down. There's a Katy Periwinkle concert on TV, so we all lounge on the living room while watching the show and eating the snacks we bought earlier. Between that and some hot-pockets Dad started making, we are pretty filled by the end of the day.

I give my goodnights to everybody before going back to my room and crawling into bed.

* * *

 **Social Links** :  
00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 3.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 5.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 2.  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 2.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 5 ( **Rank Up!** )  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 3.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 2.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 6.

* * *

 **A/N** : Hey everyone, here's a reminder.

This story is not a crossover with any Persona title. It does take elements from the Main Persona series and applies them in the setting of the story, as well as a few twists from story-plots from the games without being complete re-hash. It is its own original tale.

Thank you.


	67. Tu, 6-13

**Tu, 6/13**

 **Tuesday, June 13th/ Morning.**

Classes proceed as usual during the first period, though I notice that Weiss is absent throughout the morning. She doesn't arrive until 10:30 in the morning diffidently sliding the door as discreetly as possible, which only managed to draw several curious glances and hushed murmurs from everybody in the room. Ms. Goodwitch raises an eyebrow and follows Weiss with her gaze all the way to her desk before speaking. "Thanks for joining us, Ms. Schnee. Any particular reason for this delay?"

Weiss simply shakes her head while she sits dignifiedly on the desk. "No professor. My apologies."

Goodwitch concedes and resumes the lesson. I steal a glance to Weiss while she takes her things out of her bag. She seems oddly distracted, though I don't feel she's in the mood for me to press on the matter.

I pay attention to class as usual.

 **Tuesday, June 13th/ Lunch.**

I head to the ladies room after I'm done eating to take a leak. I'm minding my own business in the bathroom stall when I hear people walking into the bathroom; I try not to listen to them, but they are making themselves too difficult to ignore, so I end up hearing their conversation.

"… Saw one of them doing a little joy-ride yesterday on his new bike. Like, wasn't he supposed to be on duty?" Says a girl with an annoying laugh.

"Yeah, he really wasted his money on them. He's probably just wanting to make good image of his company." says another girl.

"Maybe he just likes to listen to his own voice."

A third girl, this one with a familiar voice, speaks up. "I heard, that Schnee's just pandering the force to turn a blind eye on some shady business he's making."

This draws my attention.

"No way! Can you believe it?"

"Boy, that's crazy!" The second girl interjects. "I knew that philanthropist schtick was a load of BS. I mean, even that air-conditioning system the company set up a few months ago. He only did that because his daughter studies here."

The girl with the familiar voice speaks up again. "Probably. I mean, there's no way he'd spend that much money on some cops that can't even do their job, unless he has something to gain. He's _definitely_ got ulterior motives."

"It's true what people say then, 'the rich get richer and the Schnees'~" The door of the stall next to me opens, and conversation goes deathly silent. "… Oh."

Several seconds pass before a new, definitely more familiar voice speaks. "Please, do go on." It is Weiss.

I rush to pull all my undergarments in place before slowly cracking open the door of my stall, my curiosity getting the best of me. Indeed, Weiss is standing on one end of the room while Emerald and two other girls are next to the sinks. Weiss has an icy glare in her eyes, while Emerald's red eyes have something of a mischievous spark in them. The two other girls were simply scared.

Emerald finally speaks up, an amiable tone in her voice. "Sorry, we lost track of the subject." She says with a shrug before turning to the sink and opening the faucet.

"Don't play dumb. You just can't speak bad of other people when they're right in front of you, can you?" Weiss challenges, stepping closer to them.

"Ugh, please, don't be so dramatic. Everybody speaks bad of the Schnee's behind your back." Emerald says indifferently as she shakes water off her hand. "It's really nothing special."

Weiss takes a dangerous step towards them. "Take that back, now!"

Emerald looks shocked, yet amused at the same time. Silence permeates the room, only broken by a sudden clank… Because me after leaning too much on the door and shutting it closed with my forehead… Ouch.

With my cover broken, I have no choice but to sheepishly exit the tiny rectangle and out to the rest of the bathroom, trying to shrink myself as tiny as possible.

Emerald shakes her head and rolls her eyes, the other two girls accompanying her long gone. "Okay, I'm sorry. Happy?" She turns away to exit the bathroom, but not before adding without missing a step. "Good luck with everybody else."

She finally leaves the ladies room, leaving the two of us staring after her. When I turn to see Weiss, she's already looking at me with a scrutining gaze. I hold it for a second before speaking. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything. I… is there something I can help with?"

Weiss simply looks away and waves a hand. "No, it's okay I… go ahead, I'll see you in the classroom…"

"I… Okay." I make my way to the door.

"And hey," I turn back, ignoring the thin trickle down her cheek on her otherwise emotionless face, as she speaks. "Thank you."

I don't inquire further, simply giving her a smile and heading to the classroom. Soon enough, she returns as well just in time for Goodwitch to continue with today's lesson.

 **Tuesday, June 13th/ Evening.**

Yang and I head home after sport clubs are done with practice. During our bus ride, the IM chat pops to life.

 _J.A: hey, has anything 'strange' come up recently?_

 _L.R: Not yet. Shadow activity has been tame the last few days.  
_ _L.R:_ _Nothing either on the investigation for the next potential victim. Though I did narrow it down to a brief timeframe.  
_ _L.R: We should be on the lookout_ _starting tomorrow 'til the end of June_ _._

 _Y.X: Whoa, you've got a list of people so quickly? :O_

 _R.R: That's impressive._

 _L.R: It's a list of dates, actually. No way I can mark just one person with the information I've found._

 _J.A: Thaaaat would be complicated, yeah. (-_-;)_

 _Y.X: Well, it's better than nothing! ;)_

 _L.R: Indeed. We should be on alert around the 17th, 22nd and 30th._

 _L.R: Let's be ready to save whoever might be in danger._

 _R.R: Roger captain! :3_

The rest of the ride back home goes by in the lazy haze of the sunset.


	68. We, 6-14

**We, 6/14**

 **Wednesday, June 14th/ Morning.**

By the end of the first period, Ms. Goodwitch announces that she's finished grading last week's quiz and promptly hands out the exams to everybody. I got a perfect 20! I turn to see the rest of the room to see everyone's reactions. Several people do quiet celebrations in their desks -Velvet just beams brightly at her quiz' score- while some people have contemplative looks in their faces and one guy in the back simply shrugs before resuming with drawing doodles in his notebook.

Back on the front, Weiss stares at her quiz before taking a deep breath and letting it out, the hint of a smile on her lips. I turn to see Jaune, who is looking at his with a perplexed expression. He got a good score, but apparently there were several observations written in red ink. "Don't worry," I tell him. "You can still do better next time."

"Yeah, I know." He replies with a smile, but his eyes are glued to the paper, wincing at a seemingly harsh observation. I decide to look over mine, just to make sure there weren't any mistakes, and I raise an eyebrow at what I find: A note written in lavender ink.

 _I'd like to speak with you. If possible, meet me near the faculty office after classes are over. -Goodwitch._

I peek a glance at the professor, who is impassively staring at the room in general, without locking eyes with anyone in particular. I have no idea why or what she'd want to talk to me about, but I feel it'd be best to just get over with it. I decide to go meet with her after school.

 **Wednesday, June 14th/ After School.**

I walk around the entirety of the first floor of the school looking for the faculty office, only to find out that it is right in front of my homeroom. After grumbling to myself, I slide the door open while knocking. Ms. Goodwitch is the only person in the room. She lifts her gaze from her work before setting it aside. "Ms. Rose, please come in." She beckons me over, so I walk up to her desk. "Thanks for answering to my note. I wasn't expecting you coming so soon, though."

I nod while shifting uncomfortably. "I'm sorry professor, but am I in trouble?"

"Absolutely not. Your performance has been exemplary, and your grades have only improved. Next to Ms. Schnee, you are one of the best students I've taught." She explains matter of factly. "I've called you here because I'd like to help you make sure that your academics can develop at optimal conditions."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Boy, for a second I thought you were going to push me up to second year."

"Oh please, I know that would be even more uncomfortable for you." Her semblance becomes more serious though, which makes me stiffen up. "However, I am concerned about certain subject that could potentially damage your score."

I listen intently, feeling like a soldier listening to her lieutenant. "I've noticed that you're spending a lot of time with Mr. Arc recently, without mentioning that he's your research and study partner… I won't sugarcoat this, I believe you should end your relationship with him."

It takes me a second to reply to her without yelling. "Excuse me?"

"Simply put, his grades have become stagnant. If I give him a lower grade to motivate him, I'd be doing him more harm than good."

"But he's improved." I point out.

"A little, yes. But combine that with the incident he had a few weeks ago, he does not have a good prognosis. I've seen the same thing several times already, as I have seen students like that weight other people down…" She says with a regretful sigh.

I can feel my fists tense up, but I take a deep breath before speaking. "Excuse me Ms. Goodwitch, but I believe that what you're asking me is unnecessary and extreme." I hold her unamused stare. "Yes, Jaune has had problems, but in all fairness, you don't know him like I do. He _is_ motivated and he doesn't let problems keeping him down for long. I've been helping him all this time, and I'm certain that he can improve even more than that."

Her gaze became curious during my defense of Jaune and she closes her eyes as I finish. "Your loyalty to your friend is admirable, young lady… You don't have to worry though. While I don't hold much hope for Mr. Arc, I'm not going to insist on finding a different work partner." Her eyes become sympathetic. "Please understand, I am just looking after what's best for my students."

 **I am Thou, Thou art I  
** **Thou hast established a new bond**

 **It brings thee closer to the Truth**

 **Thou shalt be blessed  
** **When creating Personas of the** **Temperance Arcana** **.**

"I'll keep it in mind. Thanks."

I step out of the office and head straight to the bus stop.

 **Wednesday, June 14th/ Evening.**

It's Yang's turn to make dinner, so naturally she's dealing with Dad's complaints about the food while she's trying to cook it. I half-heartedly listen to their banter while I jump channels on the TV. I watch a minute of each program before zapping onto the next one. A cartoon about super-powered teenagers doing trivial, dumb stuff; a movie with so many explosions it becomes bored really fast; a TV infomercial that showcases a cooking product with food so mouthwatering that should actually be illegal; An actual cooking show focused on desserts; a cute Slice-of-Life anime with a lot of zany and absurd situations and what-not… I keep note of its name to look it up later on-line.

I reach the news channel before I realize it. It is broadcasting a special report about the SCT. most of it is general history about the company itself and generic stuff. The program reveals that the company's directive will be making a big announcement tomorrow.

I think back to Weiss. I haven't been able to actually get her to open up much, but she's been upset lately, so I wonder if maybe something about the SCT is what's upsetting her. I make it a point to watch tomorrow's announcement.

We eat dinner after thirty minutes or so, and the food is tasty enough to stop Dad from complaining. After eating and cleaning up, I head to bed early, giving my goodnights along the way.

* * *

 _Ruby Rose has created the_ _Strict Professor_ _Social Link of the_ _Temperance Arcana_ _._

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 3.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 5.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 2.  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 2.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 5.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 3.  
14\. Temperance (Glynda Goodwitch): Rank 1 ( **Initiated!** )  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 2.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 6.


	69. Th, 6-15

**Th, 6/15**

 **Thursday, June 15th/ Morning.**

Classes go by one after the other in an unusually irregular pace, some getting over in an instant and others dragging on for what feels hours. I fear my brain might get jammed with the hectic change of pace, making it difficult to stay focused. Everybody seems to be feeling the same way, and a lot of people have resorted audio-record the lessons while politely paying attention rather than taking notes. Goodwitch frowns a little at this but continues with her lessons heedless.

I finally give in and turn my audio-recorder on. I rest my brain a little while trying to listen to the rest of the class, when I notice Weiss out of the corner of my eye, scribbling furiously on her note-pad, never lifting her eyes from the paper. It looks like she could set the notepad on fire. The lead in her mechanical pencil runs out, tearing on the page as Weiss tenses up, quickly fidgeting to put a new lead on. She doesn't look to be in a good mood today either.

Before lunch break, I consider asking her what she's upset about, but she just heads straight to the library without a word. Feeling inadequate, I simply go to the cafeteria and resolve to ask her at another moment.

 **Thursday, June 15th/ After School.**

Practice today is a good distraction from today's chaos. I'm doing some warmup and stretching on my own when, by sheer coincidence, I witness an accident on the football field just as it happens. A guy in football gear is tackled on his legs by a large dude while an equally massive wall-of-a-man rams into the guy on his back. The sound of something snapping is followed by the guy's scream as he spins in the air like a pinwheel before dropping on the lawn, yelling as if all hell broke loose.

Coach's whistle breaks through the air as he, the team manager and the rest of the team rushes over to the hurt guy. On the edge of the track, everybody's gathered around me to steal a peek from the scene "Man! That was insane!" I hear Sun commenting somewhere among the group. I hear everybody else's comments as the situation is being handled.

"That must've hurt for sure."

"Why didn't he juke out of the way?"

"What's the big deal? That's what's supposed to happen, isn't it?"

"Ooooh, he's gonna feel _that one_ in the morning."

"Welp, that's the season going down the drain."

I tune them out as I focus on the scene. The guy is being taken on a carrier out of the field, with Cardin following closely. Both his legs look in bad shape. After that, the football team appears to dismiss themselves while Coach Port walks back to where the track team has gathered, his bushy eyebrows almost touching each other. "Apologies team, but it seems I'll have to call practice off early today. We'll catch up to training next Tuesday." He explains before dismissing us.

I shake my head before heading back into the lockers. I fish for my phone in my bag and send a quick text to Yang before leaving for the bus stop.

 **Thursday, June 15th/ Evening.**

As soon as I get home, I go into my room and start working on re-listening to today's lessons and completing my notes. It takes time, but with the benefit of being able to pause it and having cheese puffs to eat while working, I finish without difficulty.

When I walk to the living room, Yang is still nowhere in sight, and Dad is watching the news channels as usual. I sit next to him without a word and listen to the broadcast.

"... Saving millions of baby seals. In other news, Schnee Corp. Technologies CEO, Jacques Schnee, has revealed an amazing announcement about the future of the company. While SCT has had an impressive financial growth, allowing it to develop better and more advanced products, it has always been a local company settled in the area of Vale, until today.

"President Schnee has shared in a press conference his intentions of expanding SCT business and production all around the globe and provide people from outside the continent with quality articles."

The broadcast cuts to a recording of the press conference, where the man with gray hair and mustache is speaking to the audience. "When I inherited this company, I set my sights on breaking people's expectations of what it can do. And while we've had our setbacks, we haven't lost our focus on providing people with The Finest of Them All." Reporters and the president himself laugh at the latter's statement.

The report is lead into some closet statements and dies out just as Yang gets home. She heads upstairs to take a shower while Dad stands up and goes to the kitchen to prepare dinner. I decide to help him to speed things along. We have fun while at it.

During dinner, Dad starts speaking. "So listen girls: I've given it a lot of thought lately, and I decided that it's time we start cleaning up the garage. Save what can be saved, trash all the garbage and sell some of the stuff."

"Why that sudden urge?" Yang asks, eyebrow raised. "I'm not complaining, but you've always avoided getting rid of any of that."

Dad simply shrugs. "I want to open up space. Plus, there's no point in keeping some of that stuff anyways. Like I said, I gave it a lot of thought."

"I think it'd be a great idea." I add with a smile.

"Yeah. I can't tomorrow, though," Yang says dejectedly. "A couple of dumbasses challenged each other to a match, and I have to make sure they don't kill each other."

"What? Why?" I ask, with Dad also leaning in.

"I don't know! Some sort of fight over a girl or something."

"... Isn't that something that happens in one of those cheesy sports anime?" I ponder out loud.

"Holy crap, it is!" Dad hollers before getting into a laughing fit.

We all laugh as dinner draws to an end. And on that cheerful note, I head upstairs and get ready for bed.


	70. Fr, 6-16

**Fr, 6/16**

 **Friday, June 16th/ After School.**

Besides history, oddly enough, every other class today dragged on until the final bell rings, and people spill out of the classrooms and out of the building. Outside the first year classrooms though, we're treated to the sight of people from the football team handing flyers to all the boys as they leave to go home. I remember yesterday's accident, so I suspect this has something to do with it. For some reason, I also remember what I was told in the Velvet Room.

" _Though at first some of these relationships could appear detrimental, we'd like to encourage you to not ignore them at any rate…_ "

I decide to check on Cardin, against my better judgement. I find him standing next to the main gate, handing flyers and smiling charismatically to people as they walk by, fist-bumping with every other person. He spots me in the crowd, "Oh hey! My favorite no-fan! How you doin'?" He asks as I step to the side of the entrance so I can talk to him.

"Eh, everything's good. What's all of this?" I ask, putting fake curiosity in my intonation.

"Well, one of my guys got badly hurt yesterday. Both his knees got busted. The other details aren't exactly pretty," he explains while handing out flyers, people apparently oblivious to our exchange. "Point is, he won't make it for this season, and we're now short a man for the RB. So, the team will be holding tryouts these next months."

"Well, hope you can find a replacement."

"Oh, I will. Being on the team has _mad_ privileges. People will sure give their best at the tryouts just to make it into the team!" He gives another flyer to a lanky boy. "See you there, buddy!"

"Hmm… I suppose that as long as they earn it~"

"' _Specially_ as long as they _earn_ it!" He interjects suddenly, his smile straining at the corners. "I won't just give the spot to a good runner. He has to be a winner. Everybody in the team is one, after all," He waves at people as he hands his last flyer. "We're going to win this next season for sure with chances like that.

"By the way, have I won you yet?" He turns to me, that practiced smile still plastered on his face.

I sigh and simply pat him in the arm. "Keep trying, champ." I say before walking away. I feel like getting home earlier and see how Dad's doing.

 **Friday, June 16th/ Evening.**

Dad is sitting on his couch reading the newspaper when I come in. "Hi dad."

"Hi sweetheart. How was school today?" He asks while folding down the paper.

"It was okay… Say, do you wanna get started on cleaning the garage?" I offer, making him smile widely.

"Sure thing! Go get ready while I open the place up."

After changing into shorts and one of the tank tops Yang bought me, I head out and in front of the garage door, which is now open. The place wasn't exactly overflowing with stuff, but it sure looks cramped. Large boxes are lining the floor along all three walls for the room, with several other smaller boxes stacked upon them, making some of the towers climb up to touch the ceiling. After I take in the scenery, I look towards Dad, who changed into a dirty brown overall and a yellow, sleeveless shirt, and is currently setting markers, exacto-knives and duct tape on a moving workbench. "Well, we're set now. Are you ready to…" He says while he turns and looks at me. "… start?"

"Yep! Let's go in!"

He shakes his before speaking again. "Alrighty then!" He eyes me again before looking at the front-street and ushering me in the room. "Come on, let's get to the shade before you get a sunburn."

I roll my eyes and start looking for a box to pull up and start sorting and labeling through some of the mess. Most of the boxes I open contain nothing but old magazines, most of them deteriorated by dust and time. There´s one box of neatly preserved comic book which I set to the side to look at later. A box of broken christmas ornaments, to the garbage pile; an old game console, to the "discuss" pile; the remnants of a rat's nest, garbage, garbage garbage!

I work my way down one of the piles of boxes until I reach the big one in the bottom by the time the sun sets. "Hnng, that should be enough for today," Dad pops his back as he walks up to me. "Let's check this one before calling it a day." He says before sitting cross legged next to the box. I do likewise before he cuts the old tape open and opens the flaps.

"Oh fuck." He says in a surprised, and yet earnest tone.

Inside the box is an assortment of objects that don't seem to hold any relation among them other than looking very old. A piggy bank, a clip-in tie with a platypi pattern, a red and orange cardboard plane, a few dice, a skateboard wheel, among other stuff deeper inside the box. I find a jar of jelly shoved to one corner of the box, which was filled with some yellowish brown… stuff, that looked to be completely solid.

"Watch that, it's my jar of earwax."

… "Excuse me?"

Dad chuckles before explaining. "Yeah, one time I got challenged to fill an entire jar with nothing but earwax in less than a month. Easiest ten bucks I've won in my life!" His expression then turns sour. "They would be if the jackass ever pays me."

"Garbage." I calmly state.

"What?! No, it's evidence!"

I look at him dead in the eye. "It is gross. It goes to the garbage."

"I- you- that-… I'm playing the Dad Card." He says before snatching the jar from my hand and hiding it somewhere behind him. "Freaking kid…"

I laugh a little before looking back at the box. "What's all of this, though?"

He smiles before picking some of the stuff and stares at it for a few seconds before speaking soberly. "They're gifts… your mom gave me back then, after we started seeing each other. Her good luck charms," He laughs. "She was such a silly girl. She'd buy any knick-knack she found just for a dumb joke or something. With me though, it'd usually mean something else, y'know? Like when I started job-hunting, or when I got my first job at the university." He points at the tie and piggy bank in turn.

I smile to myself. "It does sound like her."

"Yeah… Heh, thinking back, if I recall correctly, she hated the earwax jar too!" He is sent to a laughing fit. Looking at him like that makes me smile even harder. It only last a minute though, before he starts speaking again. "She was such a bright person. I… I still can't believe she's gone."

I smile sadly at him before putting my hand over his. "It's okay. I still can't believe it either."

The corners of his mouth tug a little before closing the flaps of the box again. "I think I'm definitely keeping this one," he stands and shakes his hands on his overall. "Come on. Time to get cleaned up for supper."

We head inside and take showers on each's bathroom just in time before Yang gets home. The match she policed over ended in a dramatic outcome after a long stalemate, when the girl the two guys were fighting over arrives to the gym and shoots them both down. "That turned into a completely different type of anime now," Dad comments offhandedly after listening to her retelling during dinner.

"Let's hope they don't delve into the darker genres then." I ponder out loud.

"Whatever they do, I don't wanna be part of it again," Yang complains. "I thought I'd have to knock both of them down if they continued tying."

After eating and cleaning up, we all huddle around the living room to watch a movie. We're all too tired to do something else, so we just sit quietly and enjoy the flick. We all head to bed after it ends.

I'm so tired, I fall asleep as soon as my pillow catches my head.

* * *

 **Social Links** :

00\. Fool (Hunting Squad): Rank 3.  
01\. Magician (Jaune Arc): Rank 5.  
02\. Priestess (Velvet Scarlatina): Rank 3.  
04\. Emperor (Cardin Winchester): Rank 3 ( **Rank Up!** )  
05\. Hierophant (Qrow): Rank 2.  
11\. Strength (Yang Xiao Long): Rank 5.  
13\. Death (Taiyang Xiao Long): Rank 4 ( **Rank Up!** )  
14\. Temperance (Glynda Goodwitch): Rank 1.  
17\. Star (Nora Valkyrie): Rank 2.  
19\. Sun (Sun Wukong): Rank 6.


	71. Sa, 6-17

**Sa, 6/17**

 **Saturday, June 17th/ Morning.**

During breakfast, Yang and I receive a text message. I wait until I finish to start reading it, and learn that it is from the group-chat:

 _L.R: We need to train sometime soon._

 _L.R: What's your availability?_

 _Y.X: Can we do it tomorrow? I don't feel like fighting monsters today =~=_

 _R.R: Ditto_

 _Y.X: We can always go tomorrow :3_

 _J.A: Same here._

 _J.A: Still, don't you guys wanna do something else? The movie theatre has "That" playing right now. I've read good reviews about it._

 _R.R: I like how that sounds! Wait a sec…_

I lift my eyes from my phone. "Hey Dad? Can Yang and I go with some friends to the movie today?"

He looks over his shoulder while cleaning the dishes. "Hmm? I don't know, can you?" I patiently wait for him to finish chuckling at his joke before he speaks again. "Sure. Just let me know when you're coming back, okay?"

"Thanks Dad!"

 _R.R: All green here. What about you, Ren?_

 _L.R: No thanks. You guys go have fun._

 _L.R: I'll see you tomorrow then._

 _J.A: Sure._

 _J.A: I'll see you girls at the mall._

After that, Yang and I get cleaned and prepare to head for the movie theatre in the mall.

 **Saturday, June 17th/ Daytime.**

We find Jaune waiting for us at the entrance of the cinema. "Hey there! Are you guys ready?" He asks as he's handing us our tickets.

"Yep. Let me go to the snack-bar and buy the popcorn and we'll go in."

"Wait Ruby, they serve you the food _inside_ the theatres in this cinema." Yang quickly explains before I head off. "We should head in now."

I blink a few times before shrugging and following them to the theatre room, and the main difference I spotted from what I was used to was the small table placed in between every two seats, with a menu card laid upon it. I take a seat with Yang sitting right next to me, while Jaune sits past the table across from me. A waitress arrives to take our orders (we all agree on a thin-crust half 'n' half pizza to share and three sodas). It arrives after fifteen minutes of the movie starting, but I'm enraptured watching the scene unfolding.

" _I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."_

" _Oh, that's good, good boy. Well, I am Quartersmarts, the singing mime. Now we aren't strangers anymore, are we?"_

" _I should go home now."_

" _But what about your… toy?"_

The screams of horror and surprise fill the theatre as the kid falls for the very obvious trap. I can't help but grin after the rush of adrenaline washes over me. We enjoy the rest of the movie while eating pizza and jumping from time to time in our seats. Overall, I enjoyed the experience very much.

"Man, that movie's insane! Kudos to that kid's acting." Jaune comments as we exit the cinema.

Yang laughs. "Yeah. Though I don't know what was scarier, the monster, or Jaune's shrieks." I can't help but giggle a little.

"I-I wasn't shrieking! I was uh… sneezing."

"Yeah, it is kinda chilly in there," I interject, giving him a coy wink.

"Right! So anyways, I gotta go. Violet is making dinner tonight and it's my turn to bring the emergency take-out," he says offhandedly before walking off. "See you guys at the club."

We wave Jaune goodbye (and try not to dwell on that last comment for too long) before Yang speaks again. "We should be heading back too. Let's go."

"I'll meet you at the stop. I'm gonna buy another soda."

She nods and walks towards where bus stop is while I go back and get a soda. As I exit the cinema, a mall cop turns the corner of the building. I have to look twice after recognizing who it is. "Mr. Qrow?!"

He stops in his tracks and does a double-take of his own before chuckling to himself. "Well, what would you know? This city is starting to feel pretty small, huh?" He shakes my hand as I offer it. "How's it going, kiddo?"

"Everything's fine, luckily," I snort. "Nice uniform, by the way."

"Ugh, don't mention it. It's messing up my style," Qrow complains as he tugs at his collar. "I wish the pay wasn't that good."

"Not enough odd-jobs?"

"Nope," He sighs miserably. "One more month, and I'll start looking for another thing. Preferably something that doesn't frown upon pocket-flasks."

I frown at him in mild disapprovement, before looking at my half-finished cup. "Here, hope it helps." Qrow smiles and removes the top from the cup before taking a sip from it. "You can keep it. I Wish I could do something else."

"Hey, it's okay kiddo. These are adult problems. Kids should only worry about having fun and living their lives, not dealing with this kind of stuff. Besides, this job has its perks." He says while producing a taser gun from a holster. "And they let you keep it after quitting."

"Oooh, that's cool!" I say as I watch the item, noticing now the snowflake logo on its handle.

"Yeah… Well, I need to finish my round. And you need to go home."

"Yeah, yeah. Good luck with the new job."

"Likewise, kiddo."

I meet with Yang back at the stop just as a vehicle arrives. "Hey Rubes. What kept you?"

"Oh, I stumbled upon a friend," I say dismissively.

"A _boy_ friend?"

"Ew, no! He could be as old as Dad is!" I exclaim, which only makes her laugh even more.

I simply shake my head and smile as the bus drives us home.

 **Saturday, June 17th/ Evening.**

Dad letted us know that he'd be in the grocery store before getting home, so it doesn't surprise us to find the house empty when we get back. Without anything else to do, Yang pulls out the game console and puts in a hack-n-slash game with guns, _lots_ of guns. She finishes the game's prologue and offers me to continue. The gameplay is very involved, relying on switching weapons mid-fight and pulling nigh-infinite strings of combos. The story isn't more amazing than balls-to-the-wall crazy. I find it very fun to play, and feel like Yang is just enjoying my enjoyment of it.

Dad gets home with the groceries, so we pause to help him put away the food and get everything ready for dinner. After things start going, I go back to the room to turn the game off. We all eat dinner in the living room, with Yang and I taking turns to tell Dad about the movie.

I help cleaning up before heading back to my room and giving everybody my goodnight's before falling asleep.

We'll have training tomorrow.

* * *

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